#coach james au

[loverangels]

coach!james x single mum!reader

series masterlist main

The whistle blew, and the hum of Saturday morning excitement filled the park. Kids were running around, kicking balls, giggling, and shouting to their friends, while parents mingled on the sidelines with coffee in hand. You were keeping an eye on your six-year-old son, Elliot, who was bouncing on his heels next to the rest of his football team, eagerly waiting for practice to begin.

“Mum!” Elliot called out, waving at you with the brightest grin. “Did you see me kick the ball earlier? It went so far!”

“I did!” you called back, smiling at his enthusiasm. “You’re going to crush it today, buddy!”

You loved this little park, and the fact that Elliot had a chance to be part of a team. He was too young to take it seriously, but his joy and determination made your heart swell. Plus, volunteering at the park gave you the perfect excuse to keep an eye on him without hovering too much.

As you adjusted the snacks on the table, you glanced back to find Elliot happily chatting with his teammates. You couldn't help but feel a sense of pride watching him engage with the other kids, the same pride that made you pause and take a deeper breath of contentment. You’d built a life that was busy and full, and yet, the sight of your son thriving in this environment always made everything feel right.

It was then that you noticed him—James Potter, the team coach. He strolled onto the field, looking more effortless than anyone should. He wore a loose black hoodie, his messy hair perfectly complementing his casual attire. But what really caught your attention was how he moved with an easy confidence, shoulders squared, his dark eyes scanning the kids as they stretched, a soft but focused grin playing on his lips. There was something so genuine about him. He had an air of playfulness that could disarm even the most reserved, but also a depth, like he cared more than he let on.

His presence always had this effect on you, but today it felt stronger. Maybe it was the way the sunlight hit his messy hair or how his smile seemed effortlessly charming. You found yourself stealing a glance at him, unsure if he noticed, but your heart gave an unexpected flutter when his gaze briefly flicked toward you. He smiled, that grin that made his eyes twinkle with mischief, and you quickly looked away, hoping he hadn’t caught you.

“Alright, team!” James shouted, clapping his hands to get the kids’ attention. “Who’s ready to show me what they’ve got today?”

The kids erupted in cheers, Elliot included. You couldn’t help but chuckle at their excitement—and at James, who somehow managed to look both effortlessly cool and completely chaotic at the same time. He just had that effect on people.

James bent down to Elliot’s level, holding up his hand for a high-five. “Elliot! You ready to score some goals today?”

“Yeah!” Elliot said, slapping James’s hand with all the strength his little body could muster.

“That’s what I like to hear,” James said, ruffling Elliot’s hair before turning his attention to the rest of the team.

You found yourself admiring the way he interacted with the kids. It was so natural, so warm. His patience and energy were impressive, and there was no denying that he had a way of drawing people in—especially the kids. It made you admire him more than you probably should, but you couldn’t help it. The way he was able to balance being fun with teaching them the right things—it was something rare. And that laugh of his? It was like music, an easy, carefree sound that made your heart skip a beat.

As the kids started their warm-ups, James glanced toward the sidelines—and caught your eye. His grin widened, a playful sparkle in his eyes, as he walked over to you, hands stuffed into the pockets of his track pants.

“Hey,” he said, his voice warm and friendly. “You’re Elliot’s mum, right?”

“That’s me,” you replied, extending your hand, introducing your name “Nice to officially meet you."

“James,” he said, shaking your hand. His touch was firm but not too strong, the kind of handshake that made you feel at ease. “Though I guess the kids have already made that pretty obvious.”

You laughed, nodding. “Elliot talks about you all the time. He thinks you’re the coolest person alive.”

James looked genuinely flattered, scratching the back of his neck. He had a slight blush on his cheeks as he rubbed his jaw. "Well, I try. But honestly, he’s got some real talent. Left-footed striker, right?”

You blinked, surprised he’d noticed such a specific detail about your son. “Yeah, he is. How did you—?”

James shrugged, his grin turning a little sheepish. “I pay attention. Plus, he’s always practicing that footwork drill I showed him. Kid’s got dedication.”

Your heart warmed at the obvious care he had for the team—and for Elliot. It was clear that James had a genuine interest in the kids beyond just coaching them. And as you looked at him now, standing in front of you, his messy hair, crooked glasses, and easy grin, you realized just how attractive he was. Maybe it was his effortless confidence or the way he didn’t try too hard—either way, there was something magnetic about him that you couldn’t quite shake.

“That means a lot,” you said, the words slipping out without thinking. “Elliot’s been so excited to play ever since he joined.”

“Well, he’s got a great cheerleader,” James said, gesturing toward you.

“Cheerleader slash taxi driver slash snack provider,” you joked, smiling. “It’s a whole package deal.”

James laughed, the sound light and genuine, before adding, “Parent life, huh?”

“Pretty much,” you said, glancing back at Elliot, who was now trying to dribble the ball while another teammate chased him. “But I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

James followed your gaze, his expression softening. “He’s a good kid. You’ve done a great job.”

The compliment hit you unexpectedly, and you felt your cheeks warm, though you did your best to keep your cool. “Thanks,” you said softly. It meant more than you expected. "He’s my world.”

James paused, as if considering saying something else. But before he could, one of the kids called out to him, interrupting the moment.

“Coach! Timmy keeps stealing the ball!”

James sighed dramatically, throwing you an apologetic smile. “Duty calls. But, uh... I’ll see you after practice?”

“Sure,” you said, your voice suddenly feeling softer. You watched as he jogged back onto the field, his energy infectious, and you couldn’t help but feel a little warmth inside. Maybe it was the way he made everything seem so easy. Or maybe it was how you were starting to really notice just how much you liked him.

@tallysnest @jamesweather @lovebyaphrodite @lovelydeepresedkid @trulyyoursniki @miliokumura3 @youcouldstartacult @rebookii @yrluvjane @maximumcantrix @ilarp7 @virtualbuni @youngz00 @avvaaaaaaa @littlelunatica @roseanneeee21 @nightfiress @jpottercore @sturdiii

(for anybody missing on the taglist I apologise Tumblr wouldn't let me tag you!!)

to be added to the taglist reply

[codename-adler]

27.

Trojans Squad makes a strong comeback 💪! and it’s about time James Rhemann took the stage 😏

[hyperboleigh91]

Headcanon/hopes/dreams/fanfic idea? that Rhemann adopts Jean. Like actually adopts him.

Obviously, Rhemann is learning about Jean's trauma, and surely part of that will be him learning that Jean was trafficked. Jean never had anyone with authority in his corner, so he was left to the hellish whims of a sadistic teenager and the unforgiving, often cruel contempt of the coach who accepted him as payment from his family.

So, Rhemann advocates for Jean. News hits of Jean's family's crimes, and Rhemann throws himself into the fire to protect Jean from the storm that follows, offering Jean all the help he can to ensure that it never gets twisted that Jean was anything other than a victim, unwilling to let Jean face it alone.

Rhemann refuses to let the school bully Jean out of playing Exy because they think it's bad for their reputation. He tells the team that Jean is one of them now, and he expects them to stand up for Jean the way they would any of their other teammates if they see things getting out of hand on campus.

Finally, Jean actually begins to express his feelings, his grief, over the past five years of his life, and how alone and frightened he's been. The Rhemanns put the offer on the table, with no expectations, no strings, but it will always be there if Jean ever decides it's what he wants - to be adopted. They've promised nothing will ever change about the way they treat him no matter what his decision is, and Jean feels the familiar discomfort of the possibility of safety that seems too good to be true.

It's Renee that convinces Jean to accept it. Renee tells him that the Rhemanns sound like wonderful people, they have a reputation for being kind, and they've shown how willing they are to protect Jean. She tells him that going to California was starting a new chapter for him, but it doesn't have to be just one chapter, he's allowed to rewrite his entire book if that's what brings him happiness.

And Jean knows that Renee views her adoption as the best thing that could have happened to her. And so, after many months thinking on it and seeing that the Rhemanns truly won't pressure him either way, he says yes.

----------

Jean and Jeremy go to the Rhemanns' every Sunday for church and dinner, assuming they aren't out of town for games.

On one visit, the Rhemanns show Jean the room they made for him; they're always sure to stress that there's no pressure on him, but tell him the room is his if he ever wants to stay and of course he's welcome to bring Jeremy too. They say that if he wants to change anything, just let them know, but Jean, who is sentimental about any gifts he receives, sees a room that was filled with things that the Rhemanns handpicked just for him - to make him feel comfortable, and happy, and welcome - and the fact that this is all real hits him at once and he can't stop a few tears escaping as he lets them hug him.

The Rhemanns have a pet dog who quickly decides Jean is the best person it's ever met.

[cerenemuxse]

TGR but There's a Roleswap - Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Special and Red

Journey Beyond Sodor (2017)

Word Count: 243

The story can be found at @tgr-2x5-roleswap-au for easier access.

~

"I really wished you guys hadn't said anything," scolded James once they were far away.

"But it's true!" they exclaimed in unison.

"You could've at least helped him get to the Mainland!" reprimanded the first coach. "Now you left him stranded at Maron!"

"The Main Line isn't that difficult to travel! It's fairly easy."

"To you, it is!" said the second coach. 

"That engine is a foreigner," followed up the third coach. "They don't know this railway as well as you do, James."

"Why are you guys so obsessed with that engine?" exclaimed James.

"And why were you so rude to him?" piped up the fourth coach.

"Because-!" James panicked, knowing that "because he's red" wouldn't fly by that easily. "Because what does he have that makes him qualified for the Great Race? He doesn't look fast or strong. The four-leader-four-drivers aren't as great as they once were, you know!"

The brake coach hummed. "Well, he did have a nice shade of red. Much nicer than yours, really."

James' eyebrows furrowed and his face scrunched. "Excuse me?"

"You do have a bright color," said the fourth coach. "Too bright of a color."

"But he's still red!"

"Well if it bothers you so much, then how about you and get yourself repainted with a few decorations?" joked the brake coach.

And James had an idea.

He stopped suddenly, making the Honeypot coaches bump into one another before reversing down the line, back to Maron.

~

[spookyvalentine]

mass effect au: sports coach

During the nightmare on Akuze, N7 Mercy Shepard hears of a name--Cerberus. In the aftermath, Shepard joins Alliance Intelligence to lead the hunt for the terrorist group. Lately, children have been going missing from certain schools across the Citadel. Their next mission? Placed undercover at Presidium Academy as the new middle school coach

Nihlus, the high school coach, has never seen such a consistent turnout of parents to not just the games, but the practices too

ART BY ‼️🔥 @naarisz 🔥‼️

canon, crime lord, white collar

fic under the cut!

When James makes it to the park to meet his commander, someone has beaten him.

“I hope to see you around more, coach,” says a quarian that he is nearly very certain is Admiral Shala’Raan. He’d never forget that throaty voice.

“Please,” Mercy says, dimpling. “The kids call me coach. I’m just Mercy to you.” 

“Mercy,” she purrs, it’s insane, really. She gives James lingering once-over as well. “I see someone wants your attention.”

It feels nice, how much they perk up when they notice him.

“James!” They greet, and sling an arm around his shoulders. It takes a lot to make him feel short, and Mercy does it easily and comfortably. “This is James. He’s the coach at Citadel Institute.”

Shala’Raan nods at him, and turns back to Shepard. “I look forward to Tali’s next game.”

“See you then, Admiral,” they reply with a smile.

“Bro, are you serious,” James hisses, uncertain if he’s about to shake his commander like a ramen seasoning packet, or continue gaping after the outrageous set of hips on the quarian aunty swaying off the sports field.

“You should come to one of my practices sometime,” Mercy laughs. “I think there are more parents than kids.”

James believes it, oh boy does he believe it, as Mercy stands in front of him gleaming like a shiny trophy under the floodlights. Being out in the artificial sun has darkened their skin and the freckles have multiplied. They’ve been growing their hair out for this role—brightening into a surfer blonde, and waving thickly to their shoulders.

He’s not even going to comment on their silky little shorts.

“I’ve got my own practices, remember?” James says. “But let’s switch schools, hey? You’ve got the one with all the hot parents.”

Mercy opens their mouth to respond, when James notices Dr. Solus and Dr. Chakwas escorting Jack.

They dart from his side, and runs for her. 

With a holler, they slide to their knees in time for Jack to fling her arms around their neck for a hug.

The two clutch at each other, and Jack looks incredibly tiny in Mercy’s big hands. 

Abruptly Mercy stands, bringing Jack with them. They hold her out by the armpits, with their long arms fully extended to beam up at her, like some Lion King shit—and then swings her around. 

Jack shrieks with delight. 

Some pebbles and bugs rise from the grass in little blue bubbles. 

Mercy guides her into some simple stretches as Jack babbles about her week with the doctors. They correct her form easily, and well, it’s a lot to see such a big body be so flexible. 

He watches as Mercy leads Jack into running a lap together, admiring his commander’s easy loping athleticism. Jack laughs, giggling and tripping a little when they hoot out with joy and starts running circles around her with the ball.

Every time Jack laughs, it’s like a sip of good, cold beer with a fat slice of lime after a hard workout. The first time they finally got that kid to warm up and crack a smile, was also the first time James saw his commander cry.

The pair passes the ball between each other, Jack copying Mercy’s increasingly elaborate tricks sometimes so seriously she locks up rather than be loose—but she’s improved a lot since that last time James saw the kid. 

“Shepard would do well in this career,” Dr. Solus says, as they watch Mercy divebomb Jack with a shout and scoop her up. “If chose to retire from intelligence. Is very good with children.”

And his commander does look right, as they jog up to James and the doctors with Jack sitting on their shoulders. Their hands wrap around the kid’s chubby shins entirely. 

“Time for nachos, yes?” Dr. Solus says, and briskly taps his fingers together 

“Nachos, nachos!” Jack chants, Mercy quickly joining in and bouncing.  

“That can’t be the only thing for dinner,” Dr. Chakwas says, smiling too much to pull off stern. “What else?”

“Mangonadas!” Jack hollers, grabbing fistfuls of Mercy’s hair, which they gamely accept with a wince. 

“Tamales!” She leans down and shouts into their ear. 

His commander has turned down their hearing aid in time, judging by their serene expression. 

“Which ones, mija,” James asks. Is this paternal pride? He would lay the world down at this kid’s feet. “¿Cuáles quieres?”

“De rajas,” Jack says with relish, nailing the accent. “Con queso.”

“I like the ones with raisins,” Mercy hums.

“We’ll get those too,” Jack reassures them, patting their cheeks with her little hands.

[moonstruckme]

Thawing Out

collab with @ellecdc

part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 | part 6 | part 7 | part 8 | part 9 | part 10 | part 11 | part 12 | part 13 | part 14 | part 15 | part 16

cw: modern au, alcohol, brief talk of injuries/chronic pain

poly!wolfstar x fem!reader ♡ 1.4k words

“Oi! What’s this?” 

You sit up from your stretch with a sheepish look on your face, legs spread out on either side of you on Sirius’ rug. 

“You know there’s no practice during lounge time,” he scolds. 

You roll your eyes but come out of your split, standing to take the drink Sirius holds out for you. “I just felt a little tight.” 

“Probably because of how hard you’ve been working at not jumping.” He clinks his glass against yours, taking a hearty sip. 

You copy him, and your face scrunches. “Oh, my god.” You sound like you’re fighting a gag. “What’s in this?” 

“It’s sangria.” Sirius’ voice is a bit wounded. Which feels appropriate, because you’ve just reacted to his sangria like it’s petrol. 

“You mean there’s a whole bowl of it?” 

“That’s how it typically works.” He takes another sip, swishing it around his mouth a bit. It’s really not bad. “I make drinks, babe. Not juice.” 

“I’m going to have to revoke your drink making privileges again after this,” you sigh, folding one leg under you as you sit down on the couch. You take another sip, tentative and with narrowed eyes like you’re suspicious of the liquid in your glass, but this time you swallow without complaint. “Do you really think I’m working hard at not jumping?” 

Sirius grimaces. He should have known better than to think he could breeze by a comment like that. 

“Listen,” he says, “he’s not wrong about everything. I mean, about most things, definitely—” you give a little smile, the reward he was seeking “—but he’s got a point on this one. I can feel you tensing right before the jumps. Before a lot of things, actually. You’re holding yourself back.” 

You rub your lips together, a nervous tic of yours that torments Sirius like nothing else. He fights the urge to lick his own lips in response. 

“Do you remember what Peter said about my jumps?” you ask him. 

Sirius feels his mouth twist with a malice not meant for you. He tries to quell it. But fuck—why are you still thinking about that wanker? 

Peter Pettigrew was a mistake in trust Sirius never should have made. His judgment has always been wonky where James is concerned; Peter was James’ friend, so he was Sirius’ by default, but Sirius still should have known better than to bring him around you. 

Before, there would have been three of you here. Peter used to like to sit on the couch with Sirius, and you were more than happy to lounge around on the rug and stretch, no matter how many times Sirius told you to lay off yourself and relax for once. He was totally prepared to have to shoot you down if you suggested inviting Remus tonight, but despite how comfortable you seem to have become with your new coach over the last couple of weeks, you haven’t seemed inclined to bring your relationship outside the rink. Sirius is grateful. Now that it’s just the two of you, he intends to keep it that way. It had more than stung to learn that Peter sold the both of you out, but it was worse knowing that Sirius could have avoided it had he simply used the acumen he’d always prided himself on to sniff out the rat before it happened. 

Fuck, the sangria is already going to Sirius’ head; he has half a mind to go to the pillock’s apartment and burn it down. If Peter’s half as smart as he thinks he is, he’ll have already moved. 

“No,” Sirius says, already tired with this conversation. He takes another lengthy sip from his glass. “What did he say?”

You curl your feet a little closer to you, and—yep, if Peter’s ever stupid enough to come within Sirius’ sight again, he’s going to knock his fucking teeth out. “He told the other coach that I was one bad jump away from injuring myself into an early retirement.” 

From your weary tone, Sirius can guess that you’ve memorized it verbatim. 

“He didn’t know what the fuck he was talking about,” he tells you firmly. 

Your voice gets smaller. “He usually did.” 

Your defeat hits Sirius right in the center of his chest. It makes his wrath fizzle. He doesn’t like to think about Peter’s better qualities, but you’re not wrong. He wasn’t always a complete idiot when it came to coaching. 

You lean your head on the couch cushion, and Sirius mirrors you unthinkingly. 

“You think you’re going to get hurt.” His voice comes out even softer than he intends. It’s a question, and also not. 

You nod anyway. “I can’t stop thinking about it. I know I’m messing us up, but I don’t want to fall and then not be able to compete.” 

Sirius’ mind flashes to Remus, to his grimace when he stands from the bleachers, the limp he tries to hide. From your expression, you’re thinking about him too. 

“You’re not messing us up, love.” The endearment slips out too easily, Sirius’ throat all buttered up by sympathy and booze. “Only yourself. You’re falling more now than you did before, you do realize that?” 

Your expression creases slightly, which is answer enough. 

“Every time you tense up or hold yourself back,” he says, “you’re more at risk for a bad fall than you would be if you committed. I’ve seen you fall more in the last couple of weeks than I think I ever have. Whatever Pete—Peter—was talking about, you’re only as much at risk of getting hurt as everyone else that’s as good a skater as you are—I mean, you have the skill to protect yourself, you’re just not using it. You trying to play it safe is less safe than when you didn’t worry about it.” 

You sit with this for a minute, rubbing your lips together thoughtfully. Sirius notices that at some point, you’ve nearly drained your glass as well. 

“Oh,” you say simply. 

He can’t help the grin that splits his face. “Oh?” 

“I hadn’t quite thought about it like that.” You take another sip, eyes stuck in the middle distance. 

“You can just say I’m the wisest person you know. It’s all right.” 

Your gaze cuts to him. “Would you like that engraved on a trophy?”

Sirius feels his smile grow. “Sure, I’ll add it to my collection.” 

“Oh, you are insufferable,” you chuckle. “Don’t think it was your original idea, though, was it?” A grin spreads across your face, one Sirius doesn’t like very much. “In fact, I think you’ve just agreed with Remus. Quite heartily.” 

Sirius feels his mouth pucker in distaste. “That was incidental.” 

Your laughter is diabolical. He wonders whether you were quite so wicked before you met him; it’s impossible to say, now. 

“Should I skip practice tomorrow?” you ask gleefully. “That way you two can spend the entire time waxing poetic about how right the other is.” 

He levels you with a dead stare. “Don’t fool yourself, doll. You like me too much to condemn me to such a cruel fate.” 

“You’re so full of it.” You roll your eyes with a smile, swirling your glass. “He is sort of your type, isn’t he?” 

Sirius’ throat nearly hurts from the force of his scoff. “What—dull, stubborn, and pompous? Fuck off.”

You hum, your gaze playful. “But also quite fit, right?” 

Sirius narrows his eyes at you, but that only makes yours twinkle more. He feels it like tiny little firecrackers in his gut. Even though you’re only teasing, he can see where you’d get the idea. When Sirius dates boys, he tends to go for ones taller than him, with Remus’ same lissom frame and enigmatic allure. But with Remus, there is no enigma; he’s a tosser, clear as day. And truly, Sirius hasn’t found anybody as lovely as you in some time. 

“Sounds like you’re the one who fancies him,” he says, keeping his voice light. He makes his expression go impish and teasing. “We can both do better, don’t you think?” 

You roll your eyes, but your expression is inscrutable as you take another sip from your glass. Until you take another sip, that is. Then, your lip curls. “Ugh, we can certainly do better than this. Do you have something I could add to it?” 

“You want me to let you sully my creation,” Sirius deadpans. 

“I want you to let me make your monstrosity potable.”

“I’ll make you a deal,” he says. “I’ll let you, but then no more shop talk for the night.” 

You grin, sitting up. “I promise.” 

“There’s orange juice in the fridge.” 

[carniferous]

one wip i haven't talked about (bc it isn't a wip it's just an idea i've always wanted to do) is a professional tennis player au.... solely because i'm a big tennis fan

[purple-goo-writes]

@starlightcat04 he would. You can't tell me he wouldn't and he would drag Rhodey into the madness as well. I need exasperated Rhodey having to carry the camera until Tonh invents a camera drone shaped like a dragonfly to fly around and record everything. And even then Rhodey gets dragged into the wilds looking for cryptids.

And what's worse in Rhodeys book (but epic in Tonys) while they never find the cryptid they set out to find, they end up finding a ton of other shit. Like magical creatures, portals to other worlds, actual aliens, once a God (who is now living on their couch).

Just crazy college antics with 14 year old Tony and 17 year old Rhodey, who is trying to keep the tiny white boy he adopted as a little brother from being eaten by some otherworldly creature...again.

All this happening before Tony is Ironman.

Cryptid hunter Tony would be fucking hilarious and no one will change my mind.

[fourmoony]

𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧

james potter x f!reader | modern!hockey au

cw: injury, language, use of pain medication (gas and air), exes reconciliation

summary - James is there for ex!reader when she has an accident on the ice.

2.8k

Took a break from writing ch3 of FOW to write this lil ficcy.

---

The arena goes silent the minute the programme music starts, the lights a deep blue, the music soft and slow. He’s on the Gryffindor bench, helmet at his feet, bottle half empty and hanging limply from his hands – they’re cold now they’re out of his gloves. The rest of the team has eyes on the tunnel, the whole arena does, and when James catches sight of you, he understands why, would singlehandedly go into the stands and force anyone who wasn’t paying enough attention to just – look.

Look at the way you skate so softly, like every movement comes straight from your soul, the way your dress glitters under the light, the way it makes your skin glow. He thinks you’re ethereal, honestly. He always has. But he’s not exactly allowed to think that, anymore, is he?

You skid to a stop in the middle of the ice, getting into position. Remus places a supportive hand on James’ shoulder, gives his friend an understanding look. Everything you do is always so precise, so fluid and beautiful. The way you skate is pure elegance, unlike hockey, which is rough and fast, harsh movements and even harsher words. The music fades out, changes to the start of a song James has never seen you skate to, before. But then, he supposes – he hasn’t seen you skate in four months. He hasn’t watched you try, and try, fall, and try, and fall again until you get a new move, a new routine, a sense of achievement.

He hasn’t sat on the bleachers freezing his arse off after practice just to be in your presence, or took you to eat, after. He hasn’t made sure you’re eating, sleeping, taking time to look after and care for yourself, and not just your talent.

You look different. Still beautiful, still the girl James fell in love with. But you look different. He can’t pinpoint it, really. There’s just a difference in the way you look straight at the empty penalty box as you wait for your cue that doesn’t sit right in James’ chest. It’s clunky and a little painful, a broken promise of something. You’re not looking at him. Whenever you skate at Hogwarts Arena – you look for James. Whether he’s playing or in the crowd. A nod from him, and you’re off like a shot into whatever performance your coach has chosen. Now, though, you’re staring blankly at the penalty box, not James.

He gets it, he does. It’s over. Has been for a while. But he wishes you’d look over, knows how nervous you get, wants to give you a reassuring smile. James sees the way your knees wobble as you kick off, floating across the ice like you could be flying.

You make it look so effortless, skating. You look weightless as you twist and turn into jumps James could never imagine being able to pull off – and he’s been skating since he could walk. He admires the steady movements, the emotion on your face as you glide, and spin, and jump, and the emotion on your face as the music follows the highs and lows of your routine. You’re so focussed you don’t seem to notice how the pain, the heartache of the song, the weight of the routine, bleeds from you.

It’s beautiful, in a way.

You’re beautiful in every way.

James feels the weight of watching you crushing him like a building sitting on his chest. He’s been slammed into the boards eight times in the first two quarters – not once had it hurt as much as watching you out there, so lovely, so gentle, so sad, so close but so fucking far. James thinks perhaps Remus’ hand on his shoulder is to keep him in place, for if it wasn’t there, he’d be out on the ice following you, right now. Heart in his hand, begging you to take it, no matter what it costs you both.

He’s always been selfish with love. He knows that, now. He does.

James should see it coming a mile off. He knows everything about you, the way you skate. He has every breath change, every wobble, every movement you make on the ice memorised. So, when you jump off with your left pick instead of your right – James should know what’s about to happen. You spin once, and James realises, too late, that jumping with the wrong foot has thrown you off. You’re on the ice in less than a second, the music cuts off, the crowd and both teams make gasping noises, murmured concerns. James doesn’t hear any of it.

All he can hear is the ice shattering scream you let out.

You don’t get up. James waits several seconds, and you don’t get up. Remus shoves him, Sirius pulls open the board door and James, in only his under armour and protective trousers, skates loosened for the break, skates to you as fast as he can. There’s cheering from the crowd when James comes flying out of the team box, but James can’t hear any of it over the sounds you’re making.

He’s seen you fall hundreds of times. He’s seen you pull muscles and break ribs, bruise tail bones, sprain ankles and he has never heard you make noise like this in his life. The medics haven’t arrived yet, James skids to a stop, drops to his knees. You don’t look up, face tilted towards the ice – a media training stunt so the crowd can’t see how much pain you’re actually in. But he can tell your eyes are screwed shut, fists clenched so tight he’s concerned you might break your wrists.

He says your name, soft, gentle, and it sounds foreign coming out of his mouth.

You take a shuddering breath, head tilting in the cage your arms have made for it just slightly. Your eyes are filled with so much fear that James finds it hard to breathe, tears spilling out and onto your red cheeks, “My hip. My hip, Jamie, my hip.”

You sound terrified, broken, in agonising pain. James shouts for a medic, loud enough that he thinks the whole arena can hear. There’s refs and managers, your skating coach, all on the ice when the medics come running. James feels as though he could throttle every last one for taking so long. You’re crying, curled in on yourself, and James knows better than to touch you, like this. It makes the pain worse, makes you feel like you’re suffocating. And he thinks, maybe, that you just don’t want him to touch you, regardless, anyway.

The medics slide the board under you, roll you onto your back and the scream of agony you let out breaks James. He’s crying, and you reach for his hand, squeeze it so tight he feels his bones rub together.

“Potter!” Moody, his coach, yells after him when he starts to follow the medics off the ice with you.

“I’m not leaving her.” James doesn’t leave room for negotiation, doesn’t want Moody to challenge him on this because he might do something stupid and lose his place in the league all together.

His coach sighs, nods, and James is off like a shot. He catches up with you in the tunnel, headed straight for the Gryffindor PT room. You’re still sobbing, awful, throaty cries that are etching their way around James’ ribs, threatening to break and scratch and pull at them. It’s a flurry of noise and shouting and protests from you whenever someone comes close to touching your hip. It’s chaos.

James isn’t really all that sure if you’ve fully registered that he’s there, honestly, or if you’re in so much pain you don’t have it in you to argue over his presence. The medic gives James a look, a rather pointed one, when you refuse for the millionth time to let anyone touch your hip. He isn’t sure what he’s supposed to do. You’re not his girlfriend, anymore. You’re not his, you don’t love him. He can’t comfort you the way he used to.

“Jamie,” You’re breathless, face red and blotchy, hand gripping his, looking up at him with fear, “Don’t let them. It hurts.”

And James feels like he’s drowning.

“Hey,” He gets close to your face, the thumb of his free hand swiping away the tears from your eyes, “They can’t help you if you don’t let them see what’s wrong.”

“It hurts.”

“I know,” He soothes, pushing strands of hair from your forehead, “But it’s gonna hurt a lot longer if you don’t let them fix it.”

You seem to consider, hiccupping breaths filling the silence. The medic makes an impatient sound and James throws him a cutting look.

“Short term pain, long term gain.” James murmurs into the skin of your forehead. It's a joke saying - something you used to say rather bitterly when you hurt yourself learning a new stunt.

You don’t flinch, don’t pull away or protest when he presses his lips to the heated skin. It provides the distraction the medics need to cut the seam of your dress and reveal the skin of your hip. A junior medic passes you a nozzle, wheels a tank to the side of the table you’re on, and passes you it, “Gas and air. You’re going to need it.”

James wishes he could have some, too.

The medics work, you almost chew through the air nozzle when they try to push your hip back into place, and eventually, James has to murmur panicked and overly loud sweet nothings into your ear over the gut wrenching cries you let out when the medic yanks and then pushes your hip right back into place.

The game is long since over. Gryffindor won.

You’re limp on the table, waiting for the crowd to leave before the ambulance can make it to the player exit. James sits, watches you drift in and out of consciousness, begs his heart to return to normal because you’re not in pain anymore, not in danger. You’re here. In front of him. Okay.

Sirius appears a little after the game, freshly showered and in his suit.

“She okay?” He asks, hands stuffed into his suit trouser pockets.

You and Sirius are close. Still. James doesn’t hold it against either of you. You’ve both been such an intracule part of each other’s lives that he’d be evil for expecting that to come to an end just because you and James didn’t work out. You both deserve better than his jealousy.

“Dislocated her hip. They think she’s torn some ligaments; need to wait on the hospital scans to be sure.” James replies, eyes roving over your face.

You look so peaceful, asleep. So free of pain, of the fear and agony you’d been in only half an hour ago. His heart aches. He wants to coddle you, assure you you’ll be okay. He knows he can’t.

Sirius nods, “She’ll skate again? Or no?”

The medic hadn’t seemed hopeful. James doesn’t know who’s going to have the job of telling you, but he’s praying for them. You won’t take this news lightly, “Not at the level she’s at now.”

He watches the concern wash over Sirius. They both know what it’s like to skate. Sure, hockey and figure skating are different – but the mindset is often the same. James can’t imagine being told he couldn’t skate. It’s part of him – his soul. As it is, yours.

“You okay?”

James shakes his head, “No. I can’t stop hearing her. That scream, Padfoot - It hollowed me out.”

Sirius nods, like he understands. Perhaps he does, in some way. He heard it, too. “She’s okay. For now. You going in the ambulance?”

“I don’t think she’d appreciate that.”

“I’ll wait for you in the car, then.” Sirius leaves without another word but offers James an understanding look. He gets it. He knows what it’s like for love to hurt. He and Remus spent years hurting each other for no good reason.

The room is quiet when Sirius goes. Just the steady sounds of your breathing, the beeping of your monitor. James allows himself to press his palm to your cheek one last time. He wills himself to stand up, to leave. He can’t manage it. He doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to walk away from you. Not like this.

“Stay. Please.”

You’re awake. He’s not sure how long you’ve been awake, but he has a feeling you heard his conversation with Sirius. His heart feels like it’s been kick started, like for the first time since you hit the ice, he can breathe.

“I’m not going anywhere.” He promises, thumb rubbing at your neck, hand cupping your jaw.

You nod, swallow, “I won’t skate again, will I?”

“You don’t know that.”

A noise akin to a scoff escapes your lips, which wobble as you speak, “Everyone knows how these injuries end, Jamie. I’ll be a coach, at best.”

He wishes he could tell you that you might make a full recovery, that you’ll go back to being the ethereal, elegant skater you’ve been since he met you all those years ago. He’s never lied to you before, though, so he won’t start now. You both know the statistics, the stories, how it goes. Rehab for six months, and if you’re lucky, you’ll skate in a straight line again.

“I’m so, so, sorry.” He doesn’t know what else to say.

You shush him, a fresh set of tears springing to your eyes, “I should’ve looked for you. I should’ve, I knew I should’ve, but I thought if I did, I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from coming to you. From coming to tell you that I was sorry, that I was wrong, I should’ve…”

James takes his turn shushing you as the quiet sobs rack your body. You used to chide him for his superstitions, it breaks his heart that you think breaking one caused this. He leans over, lips to the skin of your forehead, pressing over and over as though it might make the weight of his love settle into your brain, “No. Please don’t do that, please. Don’t blame yourself. These things happen. Accidents, they happen, no one is a perfect skater, okay?”

“But it’s my fault we broke up.”

You sound so broken, so tired. James doesn’t know what to say, isn't sure what relevance that has to this, so he says nothing.

Time passes, the medics return, bring James his joggies and hoodie and his shoes. He changes quickly, comes in the ambulance to the hospital.

He waits with you, holds your hand, gives you as much reassurance as he can. The doctor tells you three hours later that you’ll never skate at the same level again, and James holds you. He’s careful not to crush you when he climbs into the hospital bed, and he holds you until there’s no more tears left for you to cry. He sits with you in the silence, is patient when you get angry, frustrated, blame yourself and the world, even him, and he’s there. He stays. He doesn’t allow you to push him away this time.

The sun creeps up over the trees, cuts through the fluorescent hospital lighting and casts its golden glow on you, and James remembers.

He remembers all the time away from the rink, the beach, his parent’s summer house, road trips, theme parks, early mornings in his apartment, coffees in the car after practice. He remembers that there, once, had been more to your relationship than skating. It became habit, after a while. Skate, fight, train, skate, fight, train. It got tiring. It got old, and it drove a wedge between you both.

But he remembers how freely you once loved each other, the person you are, not the way you skate. Your soul, bright and luminous, off the ice. You’re so much more than a pair of skates and a beautiful routine. You’re ethereal all on your own.

You wake not long after, the pain medication worn off and reality starting to set in.

If you’re surprised to find James in your hospital bed with you, you don’t show it. You offer him a gentle smile. A kind smile. A hopeful smile. He kisses the crown of your head, nestles as close as your hip will allow. You make a grateful humming noise.

"I'll survive this."

James notes that you don't sound all that sure. But he knows you will. He squeezes you gently, "You will."

"And you'll be there? I know it's selfish of me to ask..."

"I'm not going anywhere. Promise." James' thumb pulls your lip from where it's worrying between your teeth, and you look so soft, so scared. So. Lovely.

You seem happy with that answer, cheek rubbing happily against his shoulder, "We'll work it out."

"We will."

[loverangels]

coach!james x single mum!reader master list

meeting your son's very handsome soccer coach

part 2

part 3

like/reply to be added to the tag list

[kquil]

JAMES POTTER | 04:01 ⏤ALWAYS SAFE

SUM. : you bring james his lunch that you cooked yourself and almost get injured

G. : fluff ; modern au ; muggle au ; ice hockey player james ; girlfriend reader ; very angry james ; protective james ; team training ; drill accidents ; reader being caring and sweet ; reader is wifey material ; james is husband material

LENGTH : 0.8k

NOT PROOFREAD OR EDITED

“James!” you shout across the rink, standing by one of your boyfriend’s coaches, Richard, who’s become like an uncle to you. The hockey captain doesn’t stop, however, unable to hear past the whistling wind by his ears atop his thick and sturdy headgear.

“Gonna have to shout louder than that, little lady ,” the older man chuckles, adjusting the cap on his head of silvering hair. 

You ponder to yourself for a moment before smirking, which makes Richard arch a curious brow at you, “Darling!” The instant you call across the ice rink, you see James’ head whip towards you before he grins widely behind the front guard of his head gear. Behind him, the rest of his team come to a skidding halt and also look over to your waving and cheering figure. You’ve become quite familiar with all of his teammates and they love to tease their captain for being so head over heels for you so the team begin snickering to themselves, some even cheekily whistling and nudging at James who pays them no mind, his sole focus fixed onto you.

“Baby!” he cheers, delight and excitement evident in his voice before he speeds his way over to you. Richard whistles for the rest of the team to run short drills while the ‘lovely couple’ have their lunch. 

“I’m sorry for being late,” you gnaw at your bottom lip regretfully, a guilty look taking over your expression as James hurriedly takes off his headgear and gloves, revealing his sweat-soaked locks matted down and clinging onto his forehead, “Richard told me you didn’t eat anything-” because you wanted to wait for me…

“Don’t worry about it,” James says gently, his smile just as bright but much softer as he takes in your sweet expression. There’s so much love in his gaze, you feel your own heart bursting at the seams to attempt at reciprocating his adoration. James brings a finger under your chin and lifts your gaze to meet his kind stare; even though he appears sweaty, dishevelled and rugged from training, he’s just as handsome as ever, “you sounded really excited over the phone about cooking my lunch for me,” a heat crawls up your neck and explodes across your cheeks as James grins, his eyes staring lovingly at you, “and I was just as excited to eat what you so graciously cooked instead of the canteen food here,” James giggles to himself, dopey and carefree, “you cooked it just for me~ I’m so lucky~” 

You returned his wide grin and felt yourself losing your will to hide his surprise. He didn’t know it but you were only late because you went and bought his favourite treacle tart from his favourite bakery across town.  

“Actually~” you begin to reach down so that you can present the bakery take out box when you suddenly see James pull back, his spine fully erect as his eyes and ears become fully alert. The words were on your tongue, ready to question his odd behaviour when he suddenly shoots his arm up to the side; just as you were beginning to register a faint whistle in your ear, it was followed by a resounding WHHHIIIIP!

In James’s stretched out hand was a hockey puck. And it was on a one way course of high velocity towards you. Seeing this, anger flares up like the fuse of an explosive ready to violently detonate in James’s eyes.

“SHE’S! MY! FUCKING! GIRLFRIEND! WATCH IT! YOU FAT FUCK!” James’s booming voice cuts through the air and silences all activity on the rink, not only that but he was easily able to narrow down the perpetrator of the hazardous stray puck, “...WELL?!! SAY SOMETHING YOU DICK!” you look past James’s figure and lock eyes with guilty brown pools, likely the offender of your potential accident.

“S-sorry,” you hear his teammate stutter, which you accept with a small nod and place a gentle hand on James’s arm, attempting to calm him down and bring his attention back to you. As he slowly turns to you again, James slams the puck to the ground and kicks it away with his ice skate. 

“Are you okay, angel?” James asks, his voice soft and kind, a complete contrast to the booming, angry shout he just projected. 

“I’m perfectly fine,” your warm voice visibly soothes the hockey team captain and he rests his forehead against yours with a sigh of relief, “...accidents happen James, please don’t lash out on the poor g-”

“Accident or not, hurting you— almost hurting you is deserving of a beat down from hell,”

Looking into his hostile but worried hazel eyes, you silently express your objection alongside some appreciation too. You’re thankful for his worry, his aggression over your safety even makes your heart flutter but he’s better than any violence. It takes a moment but James finally sighs and nods, a silent promise to watch himself and stay civil. 

Smiling softly, you lean up to kiss his lips, “thank you for saving me,” his lips smile against yours. 

“You’re always safe with me, princess,”

NAVI.

A/N : im a bit rusty on writing since i haven’t been able to write for a while from stressful home stuff but here’s me trying to get back into it with another ice hockey james au (inspired by another tiktok). hopefully, this will get me in the headspace to write good requests from my milestone event.

TAGLIST : @melinajenkins @aastonishment @until-i-found-you @corp0real @celestcies @lovelydoveval @inlovewithremusjohnlupin @calums-betch @futurecorps3 @hihihi1112 @simpingforthe80s @yrluvjane @neeezza101 @chaosofmanyfandoms @storyofaromance @loving-and-dreaming @somewereinthegalaxi @chullu-bhar-paani @ghostgardn @rosalyn-s @seungtelevision

[daenysx]

hii!! i just noticed you're receiving requests, so here's mine!!

a smutty one shot with sub!james potter maybe? it can be any plot, I just can't get enough of him being subby🤭 please and thank youu🤍

thank you for requesting, this is my first time writing for james [and a sub!male character, so i'm not sure if this is good enough :) ] i hope you enjoy! nsfw. requests are open!

modern au. james potter x fem!reader

glossy eyes of a pretty boy

you are almost asleep when something starts buzzing on your nightstand. you try to blink the sleep away by sitting on bed and taking your phone in your hand. james's name is shiny on the dark screen, you answer his call quickly, and put the phone on your ear.

"jamie?" you ask sleepily.

"hey, angel." he says, he sounds tired. "i'm sorry, were you sleeping?"

you rub your eyes, sleep fades away when your boyfriend sounds so unlike himself. "no, no, that's fine. are you okay?"

james almost stammers, unsure for the rest of this conversation. suddenly he doesn't feel so confident to act like his usual self at the moment. "can i come over?" he asks, avoiding the last minute hesitation. "it's just- you can say no of course, it's late, but i'm-"

"no, no." you're quick to shut him up, he's just being lovely. "please, come over."

he thanks you silently and you end the call with a frowny look on your face. there is something wrong with james's voice. you leave your bed, he won't take long to be here, and you wait for the doorbell in the living room.

you open the door as you hear his footsteps outside, and there he is. your lovely boyfriend walks into your apartment with tired legs, he doesn't even seem to have his usual strength as he takes you in his arms for a hug. you wrap your arms around his neck, your fingers are quick to rub the back of his neck. you press gentle nails on his skin, right where his skin meets his hair, and he melts into the hug.

"are you okay, baby?" you ask, trying for an eye contact. "you're worrying me, what's wrong?"

james kisses your cheek before he closes the door and leans his back to it. "i had an argument with the coach." he says, quietly. "it was awful. he thinks i'm not giving my best to the team. he thinks i have the potential to be better but i'm not trying enough."

you cup his cheeks instantly, eyes wide and heart clenching. "no, baby, no." you want to beat his coach even though the guy is twice your size. "you know none of it is true."

they are not true, and james should know that. he is doing his best, always working together with the rugby team, he is constantly at practices, he gives the strength of his mind and body to the sport he loves. you are sure it was just an argument made of his coach's strict strategies to get his players motivated, it has happened to another guy on james's team before, but it doesn't make any excuses for your boyfriend's poorly state right now.

you stroke james's cheeks and he gives in to your touch. you raise on your tiptoes, pressing a kiss on his upper lip. you take his hand and lead him to your bedroom. he kicks his shoes quickly, following your steps.

you sit on the edge of the bed as you pull james in front of you, he stands between your legs as he takes his glasses off and puts them on your nightstand. you push his shirt upwards, kissing his abdomen fondly, your lips curling on his skin as you suck a little spot. you pull him from his belt loops and james almost loses his mind.

you tug on his shirt. "can you take this off for me?"

he nods, streching his muscles to take off his shirt. he looks back at you, you're unzipping his pants as you press kisses on his skin. his muscles tighten under your lips, you are in control. you pull his pants down and he takes them off too.

he stands in front of you, melts under every kiss and every touch. "can i-" he takes a breath. "can i take this off?" his fingers are on the sides of his boxer, waiting for an approval before he acts. you look up to him, asking for a simple word. "please, angel."

you nod, smiling. he is your perfect boy. "of course, jamie, go ahead."

he listens, taking off his underwear and his socks before you pull him into bed with you. the sheets are still warm from your earlier slumber, james exhales tiredly as he lays facedown on your bed. you rub his back, fingertips grazing his skin rather playfully. you kiss the side of his neck, his curls spread on your pillow. he looks so, so beautiful.

you keep touching him, realizing he is lifting his hips and pressing them back to bed for a little friction. you smile, letting him look at you. "come here, baby." you pull james on your body and he leans into your touch. he is lying on his side, looking at you through glossy eyes. "let me treat you right." you say, fondly. "you deserve it, right? tell me you deserve it, jamie."

he nods, getting even closer to you in bed. "i deserve it." he is quiet but you can do with it.

"there you go." you kiss his forehead. "i'll take care of you until you forget everything he ever said. he's lying anyway, why should we care what he says, right baby?"

he nods. "yeah." you nod encouragingly. "yeah, none of it was true."

"you don't have to think about anything now." you whisper. "just focus on me."

he nods obediently. you find a comfortable position on bed, you can hold james and touch him with your free hand. you bring your hand to his chest, his abdomen, and between his legs. he is getting harder with the passing seconds, begging silently for a relief before he falls asleep.

you take his achingly hard cock in your hand, softly stroking it. he is quiet when he moans, just leaning into your touch. you keep stroking him gently, until you get a word from his lips. "please."

"you're okay, baby." you say. "everything's okay."

he nods, moving his hips against your hand. your other hand strokes his hair, and it's so gentle. he gives in, your touch brings him back. you keep moving your hand, soft and rough. your fingers graze the tip of his cock, he's sensitive, and he moans your name.

you touch him, his hands grab your waist as he holds onto you. "you're doing so good for me." you kiss his hair. "you're being so good. always the best."

james buries his face to your neck, inhaling your scent and looking for something to keep him steady. he moves his hips to your hand again, muscles streching in the warmth of the bed, your soft hand grabbing him gently. he wants to stay in the moment, he wants to stay here forever. he feels so safe and secured, trusting you to take care of him.

"i'm-" he kisses your neck, tries for words. "i'm so close."

"i know, baby." you say. "will you be good for me? will you come for me?"

he nods. "yes, yes, i will." he buries himself closer like it's possible. "i'll be good, please."

you move your hand a little faster. he deserves to finish, deserves to relax with you. you twist your hand like you've been doing for minutes, one last stroke, one last touch on the tip of him. james arches his back to you, he doesn't have any control of his movements anymore. he comes to your hand, white cum drips down on his belly and your leg a little bit. you help him ride through his orgasm, last drops of the liquid as you milk him dry.

james gives you a sound of moaning as you push him gently to lay on his back. he tries to catch his breath, the moment of intimacy is never lost on him as he holds your waist. he blinks, watches the ceiling. you sit on the bed slowly, leaning in to give him a kiss on his lips.

"can you close you eyes for me?" you ask with a lovely voice. "i'll be here in a minute."

he closes his eyes but doesn't let go of you. "don't leave me, please."

you give him another kiss because he's just so, so pretty when he begs you to stay. "i'll clean us up, and i'll get you some water baby." you push his hair back from his sweaty forehead. "i'll be back really fast, okay?"

james hums, you are quick on your steps as you clean your hands and your leg in the bathroom. you get him a freshly washed towel and help him clean himself though you were the messier one just a minute ago. you toss the towel into the washing machine before you leave for kitchen. you lean to the counter, trying to get yourself calm. your heart beats so fast, the waves of arousal from a moment with your boyfriend washes over you. this isn't about you tonight, you will not ask for james to return the favor. you should relax a little before getting into the bed with him again.

you fill a huge glass of water for james, after you drink one yourself. you go back to your bedroom, sitting next to the spot james is lying. his eyes are still closed, you worry he fell asleep for a second.

he blinks when you cup his cheek. he gives you a perfect smile, turning his face to kiss your hand. "i thought you fell asleep." you say.

james shakes his head. "i was waiting for you."

you give him a proud smile. "would you like some water?"

he nods, and you help him sit. he takes the glass from your hand and sips greedily. you can't help but smile at him, he finishes the glass quickly. "thank you, angel." he says, getting closer to your face to give you a kiss. you part your lips for him as he kisses you breathless.

you pull yourself back, looking at his pretty eyes. "you know, i really do believe your coach is not true in his words. i know how hard you try and how good you are in the field." you stroke his cheek. "i hope you believe in me. i never want you to be upset or doubt yourself when you're so good."

he nods, grateful and sweet. "it means a lot to me. your opinion, i mean. i'm glad for your support, my love, i really am."

you give him another smile, he puts the empty glass next to his glasses and you move to your side on the bed. "i can get you a shirt if you want, maybe you'll get cold." you say before laying down properly.

he shakes his head. "it's fine." he hesitates before he asks for something else. "would you- would you like to take your shirt off? so that i can feel you closer."

he is so gentle like he always is, you nod. "of course, i'd like that."

you make a quick work of your clothes, taking off everything. skin to skin contact makes everything better and james is so, so big and warm. you pull him to your naked chest as he presses a kiss on your skin. he gently holds your waist as you stroke his curls in your hand, brushing his hair back, helping him bury himself closer to your body. "you are okay, hmm? you are okay, baby."

"you didn't get to come." he murmurs, sleepily. "i promise, in the morning." he whispers disconnected words.

"i'm fine, that was for you." you lead his thigh to stay between your legs, pressing your warm cunt on his muscular leg to remain steady until the morning. "can you keep your leg here, sweetheart? i'll be okay than."

he nods, kissing you one last time on the skin below your nipple before sleep takes him. "of course. thank you." he streches like a kitten, and he settles down. "i love you."

you whisper the words back to him, holding him close to your chest until he finally falls asleep. the bed is warm and james's leg helps you when you can close your eyes. your pretty boy takes a sleepy breath, and you keep him under the covers, forever keeping him in your arms.

[cerenemuxse]

TGR but There's a Roleswap - Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - Maron Station

Gordon and Rebecca, Coming Through! (Season 24 Episode 17)

Word Count: 384

The story can be found at @tgr-2x5-roleswap-au for easier access.

~

Later, James pulled into Maron with the Honeypot, and that's when he saw him.

"Oh, not him!" he hissed loudly.

"Who?" asked the coaches, who were typically quiet. The first coach peaked over the engine's tender out of James' cab. His eyes landed on the approaching tender engine.

"H-Hello?" exclaimed Edward. His eyes brightened with relief. "James!" The other red medium-sized tender engine came to a gentle halt at the station, exhausted. "H-Hello!" he huffed out tiredly with as much energy as he could muster.

"Hi," James replied bitterly, immediately looking away. "Aren't you supposed to be heading to the Great Railway Show?"

"Aye," began Edward with a small weak smile before quickly looking down with sorrow, "I got left behind. I wis… I wis hopin you could… m-maybe show me tae the Mainland."

Immediately, the Honeypot coaches chimed in. "James wants to go to the Great Railway Show! He can show you the way!"

Edward's interest was piqued, smiling at the bright red medium-sized tender engine.

“No!" James immediately replied, startling Edward who revved backwards. "I don't want to participate in something silly. I don't need to prove that I’m good at something. I would rather be a really useful engine than a pretty pony." Much to his relief, the guard blew their whistle. "Besides, I'm clearly busy so you'll just have to find another engine!" he hollered as he quickly departed the station without so much of a whistle, leaving Edward behind.

Edward's face dropped. He had been very lucky that the dockside diesel, Salty, had been willing to take him to the Main Line, as it turned out that he was on a branch line called the Brendam Branch Line. Salty had told him to just go east on the Main Line and that he would eventually reach the Vicarstown Drawbridge. Unfortunately, Edward nearly got lost at the West Maron Junction, almost heading into the goods tunnel that went through what was called Gordon's Hill. Thankfully, the signalman had stopped him and geared him in the right direction. He had been hoping another engine could show him the way but he hadn't come across any until then.

His mind swarmed with worry as he puffed along the line.

~

This is the only chapter that has been slightly edited. There was a section at the end that I cut off as it wasn't really going anywhere. At the time that I wrote it, there was going to be a different ending than you'll see.

[coyotelip]

♤ jegulus figure skating au ;

regulus has been a solo skater for years and is convinced that he is just not designed for pair skating.

james has been skating with lily for years, but at some point, they both want to change their style and don't agree on what they want, so their skate duo breaks up.

their coach pairs them up for this season, and they are both extremely unhappy about it. but in the end, it's either skate together or miss a year of performances altogether. so only one season I'd not that bad, right?

months of training go by, and regulus falls first.

james' expression during practice, his strong arms around regulus' waist, his jokes and everything else. regulus gets too hot under james' hands and panics about it.

all of this causes regulus to have a crisis because of his unexpected feelings.

he takes a week off, feigning illness to rest and breathe air that isn't saturated with the smell of james potter and his lip balm.

but regulus comes back a week later, and all those feelings are still there. he can't bring himself to stay cool in james' company.

but regulus is a professional, so he tries his best and puts in the workouts.

james doesn't see it until their performance.

during their show, regulus makes a mistake that greatly affects their score. It's clearly regulus' fault, and they only get 3rd place, even though they were so close to winning.

regulus has a mental breakdown and locks himself in the break room. when james finds him, regulus speaks plainly, "you should find a better partner. you deserve better."

and james is surprised at himself because his first instinct is to deny it.

a few months ago, he would have agreed with regulus, shrugged it off in defeat, and immediately gone in search of a new partner.

but now, seeing the regulus blame himself and withdraw doesn't annoy him. no, james wants to find the right words to reassure regulus that this is not the end. that they will move on, and next time, they will come out on top.

they both want that next time to happen.

[oneofstarkskids]

so high school

pairings: bucky barnes x reader (high school au)

summary: bucky barnes just didn't seem to want to leave you alone.

genre: fluff?

did they think you were stupid? that you couldn't clearly see them whispering about you and laughing like they were in on some kind of joke?

of course it was a group of jocks. idiotic football players that had nothing better to do with their time than make fun of the "nerd". one in particular caught your eye.

james barnes. but everyone called him bucky. you didn't know why. the nickname was strange and you would've rathered call him james. not that you called him anything at all.

he was a grade above you and definitely outside of your social circle. he was popular. so popular in fact, that fifteen girls asked him to formal last semester.

what you couldn't understand is why he said no to every single one of them. he was truly a puzzle. one you didn't have time to figure out, and now he was standing a few feet away looking you dead in the eyes as his friends whispered and slapped him on the back.

after your eyes had met, you turned around quickly and took your seat. you didn't want to know what was being said. you couldn't care less.

you focused on the lecture and took a few pages worth of notes. you glanced over at the clock as you stretched out your sore hand. only a couple of minutes until class was over.

you looked over your shoulder briefly, and there he was. already staring back at you. it was actually starting to make you a bit uncomfortable.

as soon as the bell rang you grabbed all of your things and made your way into the hall, trying to get as far away from class as possible. but before you could get too far, bucky ran to catch up with you.

he said your name. bucky barnes knew your name?

you turned to him in surprise, "huh?"

"that is your name, right?" he asked.

"mhm," you nodded. it seemed like all you could do at the moment. why was he talking to you? surely the captain of the football team wouldn't want to be associated with you. you were just a try hard. what could he possibly-

"i was wondering if maybe you could help me out with something," he said with a bit of embarrassment laced in his voice.

"depends," you finally got a word out.

bucky fidgeted a bit, "can you tutor me? mr. davis is on my ass and if i don't pass his class coach will kick me off the team."

of course that's what he wanted.

"for free?" you asked, raising an eyebrow.

bucky chuckled, "well, no. i could pay. what's your price?"

you thought it over for a moment. "$50 per session."

bucky frowned, "$50!?"

you shrugged.

"how about twenty," he bargained.

you almost scoffed, "how about $35 and you bring the snacks."

bucky took a long pause before turning to you and reaching his hand out, "deal."

[peachhcs]

world juniors surprise

hughes!sister x will smith au (samy + will)

samy surprises the guys in canada at world juniors!

wc: 2.4k

this is more gabe, ryan + samy just because i like writing their friendship and showing how much they all enjoy each other’s company and hanging out all together even when will isn’t around. (i also didn’t know how to end this so ending sucks my bad)

au masterlist

even though will wasn't playing at world juniors anymore, samy still wanted to support her other boston boys and her parents were suckers for hockey, so they made the trip into canada for the rest of the tournament. samy also really loved surprises, so she made an effort to surprise ryan and gabe upon arriving. 

she texted back and forth with drew and zeev about making sure neither of the boys found out as she snuck into the practice rink near the end of their practice. she stayed close to the back of the bleachers, watching as the boys played a scrimmage. the sound of the puck hitting against their sticks was like music to her ears. 

drew glanced her way and she gave a tiny wave. the taller boy smiled, making sure to not draw any attention in her direction. she saw ryan wearing the big C on his uniform and gabe with his A and she couldn't be prouder of the two. after all the work they've put in the last year and this season so far, they definitely deserved it. 

their coach called them in after another few minutes for his last remarks about practice before sending them free for the day. with everyone's back turned, samy carefully snuck her way onto the ice.

head coach carle saw her making her way towards them. he began wrapping up his last words, "good work today boys. get some good sleep, we have a big day tomorrow." ryan began standing back up to call out their cheer when coach stopped him, "actually, i think we have someone else who wants to call the cheer today." 

the boys grew confused until samy said, "mind if i do one leno?" 

ryan's head snapped towards her, eyes wide with surprise. the other boys copied his movements, all of their gazes quickly lighting up when they saw the familiar hughes sister.

"no fucking shit," ryan laughed and skated towards her. gabe wasn't far behind as they hugged. 

"what are you even doing here?" gabe laughed as he took his hug and the other guys rallied around for a hello. with most of these boys being old u18s and u17s, samy was very familiar with all of them so she greeted each of the boys with a friendly smile. 

"i'm here to watch hockey, duh?" the girl laughed. 

"what a great surprise. it's good to see you," ryan grinned. 

"we did help plan, by the way," drew spoke up next to zeev. 

"impressive. i don't think i've ever been on the receiving end of a surprise before," gabe patted the girl's shoulder. 

"well since you're here and you asked, you can do the honors," ryan said meaning the team cheer. 

"all hands in," samy smiled and the boys put their gloved hands in the center. "usa on 3. 1, 2, 3, usa," they broke and finally started skating off the ice now in chatter about samy being there. 

"how long are you staying?" ryan asked.

"the whole tournament. my parents are here too. they couldn't pass up an opportunity to watch some good hockey," she giggled. 

"well, we're glad you're here. i don't think we've ever been surprised by you before. give us like..twenty minutes to shower and change and we'll be out," gabe said and samy nodded. she wasn't a stranger to waiting around after a game or practice, so she made herself comfortable against the wall across from the locker room. 

the youngest hughes sent a quick picture to will telling him she successfully surprised the boys. they were both sad he couldn't join her in canada because of the games he had to be at coming up, but he was there in spirit and obviously, samy was going to send him all the game updates. 

james and aram came out of the locker room first. the older brunette quickly hurried over to greet samy where she gave both of them warm hugs. 

"good to see you again hughesy. congrats on your national title by the way," aram nudged her shoulder. 

"thank you. it's good to see you guys too. how's boston been?" she asked and the two nodded.

"amazing. awesome. perfect," james chuckled. 

"you've been doing pretty good this season. i can't believe my little u17 is all grown up," samy poked james' shoulder making him flush. in her eyes, him, teddy, cole would always be her u17s no matter how old they got. 

"i try to stay humble," the boy mumbled, but smiled nonetheless. teddy and cole were the next ones out, quickly rushing over to say a proper hello. samy hugged them all the same. 

"it's kind of weird seeing you without will here," teddy laughed. 

"yeah, i know, but i really wanted to come see you guys. i can't believe how grown up you are," she pinched teddy and cole's cheeks like a big sister would, which, in some ways, she was a big sister to them. 

"you say that like we went from 12 to 17 overnight," cole said making the others laugh. 

"in my eyes you did. i feel like a mom who's birds all left the nest," samy held her heart and the boys exchanged a glance knowing how sappy and sentimental she got. 

the last four finally came back out after another ten minutes. drew and zeev hurried over to also give the youngest hughes a proper hug. "thanks for helping with the surprise," she said.

"of course. glad i got to finally be in the know this time around," drew grinned. 

"are you hungry at all? we can all catch an early dinner late lunch?" ryan wondered and the others nodded, wanting to tag along.

"sure, i'm down," samy agreed too. 

they decided on a restaurant not too far from the rink and piled into their cars. samy got in with ryan and gabe, the dark-haired boy offering her the front while ryan got in the driver's seat.

"when's em and julianne coming down?" samy wondered. 

"emma's coming this weekend and i think julianne is too. like everyone is coming this weekend," gabe said, clicking his seatbelt in. 

"i'm excited to see everyone. all we'll be missing is will and hannah."

"isn't hannah in like jamaica for break?" ryan wondered and the girl nodded.

"yup, her big winter break vacation. the pictures have been super cool though." 

they pulled out of the lot, the other hockey boys following behind them. "so how are you feeling about being captains?" the brunette shifted the subject, her gaze bouncing between the two boys. 

"good, i think. we're feeling confident about this tournament and i think we've been doing a good job?" ryan said in a bit of a question as he gazed back at gabe through the rearview.

"i'm feeling confident too. it's gonna be a good tournament," the dark-haired boy agreed.

"good, i'm glad to hear that. you guys have really great players on the roster this year. you guys and hagens should be a good trio," the girl nodded. 

"dude, hagens is a fucking beast. he's crazy good. he's like the will smith of his year," gabe quickly gushed at the mention of the other taller brunette. 

"i've heard. he was always really good at dev," samy agreed. 

"i know he's gonna go quick at the draft next year. there's no way he doesn't," ryan turned into the restaurant parking lot. all the other boys pulled in, scattering to find parking spots.

the poor hostess was definitely a bit frightened when almost ten hockey players came into the restaurant without a reservation, but somehow, she managed to seat all of them. their chatter carried across the table between one another talking about world juniors, college, hockey, michigan, san jose—all of the topics getting covered. 

"hey, i'm just wondering how you get smitty to post pictures of you like that," aram snickered making the other boys laugh. samy flushed and just shook her head.

"i have no idea. you have to ask him," she shrugged.

"he's sooo whipped for you," zeev poked her shoulder and the girl's poor flush got worse and opted to bury her face in her hands instead. 

"oh she knows. we all know. you should've seen how bad they were before they got together. it was so obvious," ryan shook his head slightly making gabe, drew, and aram all laugh. 

fall of 2021 (samy's junior year and will's first year of dev)

"where are you going?" ryan wondered when he saw his friend putting his coat on. will's gaze snapped in his direction.

"my mom and i are going down to samy's soccer game. you wanna come with?" ryan didn't know the youngest hughes that well yet. their only interaction had been at her house the first time and then she was at some of the preseason games, but the boy wouldn't pass up an opportunity to get out of house and watch a game of soccer. 

"yeah sure," he shrugged and got to find his coat. "do you guys always go to games?" 

"usually, yeah. my mom always had the highlights up or read about it online," will shrugged and the brunette just nodded. he still thought about how much will played it down how close him and samy were and after meeting her, the guys quickly realized how much closer they were than will led on. 

mrs. smith filled the silence with asking the boys about how the program was going so far and if they were liking it to which they said yes. it was hard getting any elaboration out of sixteen year old boys. 

the stands were fairly packed when they got there. colleen found samy's parents and the boys followed her since they didn't really know anyone from her school. 

"there she is," will pointed to samy's #6 down on the field warming up. "she has crazy pre game superstitions. she always has to have her hair up in a braid and she usually eats two apples before every game," the blonde continued. 

"sounds serious," ryan chuckled to himself and will nodded.

"you have no idea. she gets insane with her superstitions," the blonde laughed too. samy finally looked back up at the stands where will waved. she quickly waved back when she saw him, a large smile on her lips. 

"i'm definitely dragging all of you guys out to these games. samy loves the support and she'll find it funny seeing all of us in the stands," the more will kept talking about her the more curious ryan got with their relationship because he seriously wondered just how close they really were. 

the game got underway and ryan also began realizing just how much he liked girl's soccer. he didn't usually watch it, but samy's game had him on the edge of his seat as the girls raced up and down the field to score a goal. the youngest hughes was good. will mentioned how good she was, but now that ryan was seeing it with his own eyes he definitely agreed. the girl was fast and good at scoring. 

when the game ended the family waited around for samy to come back out of the school. ryan and will were discussing what a great game that was when the brunette came out with her team in high spirits after the win. will quickly lifted her into a hug. 

"great game, hughesy," the blonde cheesed.

"thanks, smitty. it's so good seeing you in person," she chucked and her eyes slid to ryan. "i dragged him with me. well, he wanted to come when i asked," will filled in the gaps.

"you were good, hughes. i was impressed," ryan smiled. 

"thanks, that means a lot. i'm glad you came," she offered a quick side hug before greeting her parents and mrs. smith. ryan watched the exchanges and the way the smile never left will's lips as he watched samy in front of them. 

ryan was slowly learning how important this girl would be to all of them in the next two years because after that game, the guys never missed one of samy's home soccer games (unless they had a game too). 

even though she was will's girlfriend and will's friend first, samy had become quite an important friend to all of the guys. she showed up for them and they showed up for her, even when will wasn't around to bridge the gap because there was no gap to bridge anymore. they were close all on their own. 

and her being at world juniors to support them in the tournament was more than the guys could even ask for. they all went back to the hotel for the night knowing they needed to get good sleep for the game tomorrow. samy hung out in ryan and gabe's room with aram and drew for a bit. ryan was out on the balcony getting fresh air when samy came out to join him.

"nervous?" the girl wondered as she leaned against the railing.

"kind of," ryan admitted with a small chuckle.

"you're all gonna do great, lean. you worked really hard for this," samy assured making the brunette smile a bit.

"yeah, i know. i think it's pre game jitters i always get. still getting used to the whole captain thing too."

"hey, i get it. it's nerve racking for sure when people finally watch what you and your teammates have been working on for the past week. people love you guys though. they love you. they're gonna think it's great," the girl said and ryan flushed.

"thanks for coming by the way. it's good having you here with us even though will isn't here," they exchanged a glance.

"you know i'd always show up for you guys. you show up for me. we're friends outside of will. you guys are gonna be in our wedding whenever that happens, so of course i'd show up for you guys," samy loved these boys like they were bonus brothers. all of her brother's hockey friends were her bonus brothers, but the u18s of 2023 were brothers in a way that samy knew they'd all be friends for the rest of their lives. 

"you know will really landed a good one," ryan winked making the girl flush. 

"yeah, i guess he did." 

"you guys better get back in here and watch drew beat gabe at mario kart," aram called. the two exchanged a glance, laughing and racing back inside so they could see drew pull ahead and cross the finish line before gabe could. he jumped up in excitement. 

"i won! finally!" drew exclaimed.

the others cheered excitedly. gabe rolled his eyes a bit and handed off his controller to someone else. ryan grabbed it wanting to beat drew this time.

they played for a little while longer until deciding they definitely needed to go to bed. the guys hugged samy goodnight, “can’t wait for a great game tomorrow!” she grinned as she followed drew and aram out of the room.