#de Bryune

[lovelybrandt]

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[tarttheart]

PRECIOUS LOVE: PROLOGUE - JAMIE TARTT x YOU

summary: a crush leads to a one night stand leads to four years away from England.

word count: 1.5k

warnings: language, sexual references, pregnancy loss.

-

prologue: didn’t know what to do with myself

Before Keeley, there had been you.

You had been off limits. Everyone knew that. It had been an unwritten rule at Man City. At first, it was out of respect for De Bryune (and partly because no one wanted to suffer his wrath if they broke your heart). But then, everyone got to know you and it became evident that the rule had to stand. You were affable to a fault and you had this knack for drawing people out no matter how hard their exterior was. Everyone loved you and there was no way anyone could pursue you without a potential falling out with the team if things went pear-shaped so no one did.

Until Jamie.

Jamie was still living in his Prince of Pricks era but even he struggled with not becoming enamoured by you. You were always so sincere and genuinely interested in him (and anyone) as a person that he grappled with having actual feelings for you. Jamie did not do actual feelings. Not even a little bit.

Jamie made every effort to push you away and out of his life but you made it impossible. Despite how much of a prick he had been to you, you had unabashedly pulled him into a long, long, long hug after chancing upon an encounter because Jamie and his dad. To say it had not gone down well would be putting it mildly but the way you had wordlessly walked up to him and pulled him into a long, tight hug had said it all and had undone all the walls Jamie had tried to put up.

It was the last post-season celebration Jamie would attend for a while. He was going to be loaned to Richmond next year and he would be leaving soon. Who knows when he would be back? If ever there was a time to shoot his shot, it was now.

Which worked out perfectly.

Your time in Manchester was never permanent. You had moved from London for a promotion. It had worked out well that De Bryune was in Manchester and your friendship meant you instantly befriended a literal team of people. It had made life in Manchester far more interesting and fun but you had been offered another promotion which involved yet another relocation. It was much further away this time and unfortunately, you knew no one there. But, it fulfilled your dream of living overseas. So, while De Bryune had been disappointed that one of his key connections to life outside of football was due to leave, he could only send you off with his well wishes.

“I’m really happy for you. I know how much you dreamt of moving away and seeing the world and now you will.”

You smiled, “took a lot longer to make my dream come true compared to you though.”

“It’s not a competition,” De Bryune chided before continuing, “you know, if you have other dreams, you should work on them too.”

You hummed softly to yourself as you ignored the underlying meaning to Kevin’s comment.

He cleared his throat and continued, “fine, don’t talk to me about it. But we’ve known each other since we were kids. As much as I hate that you do, I know you like Jamie. And I’m pretty sure Jamie likes you. He’s a prick but pretty sure that’s a shell. Probably didn’t need to tell you that. So, my point is, you’re off soon as is he. If you want to make your feelings known before you go, you’ve got my blessing.”

Kevin tapped his empty bottle against the railing on the balcony of Rodri’s house where the post-season celebration was underway.

“Think on it. You deserve to be happy,” Kevin said before whispering, “even if it’s with a prick.”

You laughed, “thanks, Kev, but I am already happy.”

Later that night, as the party fragmented, you found yourself with Jamie through it all. Whether it was playing darts as a team or having a chat about your years ahead with him off to Richmond and you across the world to Australia, you two were joined at the hip.

You excused yourself for the bathroom and found what Kevin had said weighing heavily on your mind. Snap out of it, you repeated over and over in your head.

It had all been too much. Sitting with Jamie all night after Kevin went home to Michele and the boys. Then, playing snooker together had really taken its toll. He had been so incredibly nice despite how terrible you had been. He quietly praised you and even hugged you when you pocketed a ball. You had been overwhelmed and it did not help that you had been drinking since noon.

So, when you emerged from the bathroom to find him there, boring his eyes into yours as he checked up on you, you found yourself succumbing to the urge to kiss him. And while Jamie knew he was not supposed to, since when did Jamie listen to rules?

-

For the first month or so that you were away, you kept up some communication with Jamie. The occasional message commenting on each other’s Instagram pictures. Then, Jamie noticed that the messages became less frequent and a lot more distant. At some point, he realised you never initiated conversation anymore and he would never admit it but it broke his heart.

So, Jamie did the usual Jamie thing of covering it up by fucking the next fit model he met - Keeley Jones.

-

It had been four years, four long years. You had spent all of it overseas, not once did you return to England because why would you?

Your family had dispersed as everyone had grown up. Sure, your parents did still live in England. They had moved to Oxford since your dad retired and your mum received an offer to continue her research at the university there but if anyone understood being away for work, it was them. Your own sisters had long left England with one moving to Germany with her husband after he had been transferred there and the other moving to Canada for her own career. So, your move to Australia was almost expected. Anticipated. Celebrated, even

It sounded harsh but it was true. Your parents had had you late in life and you were completely aware you had been an accident, a little blip in their perfectly planned out lives. Mum was always busy with her research while Dad spent the bulk of his time working away as legal counsel for a big multinational corporation. Much of your time growing up had been spent with your grandparents. You would have dropped everything and returned to England for them in a heartbeat but they had both passed not long after you had graduated so in a way, there was no family to visit in England.

Friends-wise, a good chunk of them were similarly gallivanting around the world. Otherwise, they were starting families like Kevin and that was just not where you were at in life. And, it was not like you did not want to start a family. You almost had but then, it had not quite worked out that way. Which was incidentally a big part of the reason why you had avoided England, despite every excuse you used to justify travelling around Asia Pacific instead of going anywhere near the UK.

You were horrified when you had been called into your boss’ office to be offered a promotion which required your immediate repatriation back to England.

“What about that role in Amsterdam we discussed? There was also that role in Tokyo since Masuda is leaving?”

“Yes but I think you’ll find this offer much more attractive.”

And you had. These roles came about once in a blue moon, usually because of a retirement (on occasion, it had been due to a person’s demise but no one talked about that). You knew you had to take it but you also knew it meant being back in England which you had avoided for good reason. But, maybe, there was enough distance between London and Manchester. They were not separated by an ocean but a few hours would be far enough. Afterall, his loan should be over by now.

That was what you repeated to yourself, trying to reassure yourself each moment you felt the panic grip you. It worked until you encountered a bus on your way to work one morning with an advertisement for some stupid dating app called Bantr. It was absolutely not something you were interested in but the familiar face on the ad caught your eye. You took a second look and you were immediately confronted with an image of Jamie Tartt in a Richmond kit.

Oh fuck, you might have made a minor miscalculation. You googled him as soon as you were on the tube to work and slumped into the seat when you realised he had signed to Richmond.

Almost nine million people in London, surely you could go without seeing him.

-

master list | chapter 1 >

[astroyongie]

Listen 👀 I have been stalking you (sorry not sorry) and I noticed that you are a Fan of City. Sooooo my question is.. based on the charts of the boys (Dias, Silva, De Bryune, Haaland, Grealish and Foden) what types of boyfriends are they ?

oh my god not ahahahhahahahah (okay i will do it and it's not bc I love Haaland deeply)

i don't really know how to organize this without doing headcanons, but still, I will give an insight based on the astrological charts

Ruben Dias: Not the type to talk about his feelings much, he is the type of boyfriend to enjoy showing his partner on his social life. He is rather open in terms of relationship, but likes to be in charge of things and to be the one organizing things

Bernardo Silva: The type of partner that talks with their partner in private and keeps things in private. He also likes to make sure people know about their partner in a "awe" way and he is rather simple in the relationship. He has his cultural values but he is open to things

Kevin De Bryune: Very emotional, as a partner, he is also before all a friend. Kevin has a huge heart, he treats his partner like royalty and he always wants them to have the best of the best and to keep up with his busy life

Erling Haaland: Honestly he is a fluffy despite his height. Like Kevin, his partner is before all, his friend, someone he talks to and listens. He also has a good heart, wants his partner to be happy. Puppy like, he basically allows his partner to do whatever they want, he is just there, present.

Jake Grealish: He cannot take things seriously, and doesn't know what he wants so he usually allows his partner to make decisions for him. As a boyfriend, he is rather strict in some ideas and values that he doesn't want his partner to change. He is also quite jealous but protective

Phil Foden: His chart my god. Anyway this guy as a partner is a trickster, he lives for the media mostly and he would like his partner to be on the same range or at least to be well seen in public. he talks a lot, he is very energetic and ready to do crazy stuff 24/7

[crimsonicarus]

where is that "May Courtois fuck De bryune's wife again" post when you need it

[thomas-mvller]

My biggest concern was de bryune and mf hasn't even showed up 😭

[footballconfessions]

I read that after Kevin De Bryune said "We're too old we will not win the World Cup" , the situation in the dressing room got worse and some players aost got into a fight and all.

Also, KDB and Courtois' games for Belgium are very different from how they play for their clubs. Maybe it's because of team chemistry or being surrounded with other better players. 🤷🏻‍♀️

when they finally let kdb talk lmao - arlene

[ofrolysdogs]

they said they tired of this shit bring out de bryune 😭

[tarttheart]

PRECIOUS LOVE: CHAPTER 1 - JAMIE TARTT x YOU

summary: you finally tell someone.

word count: 1.1k

warnings: language, mention of pregnancy loss

-

chapter 1: my own worst enemy

It was a cold, wet spring morning in March. It was the annual day of grieving. You always took the day off work to give yourself time to sit at home and wallow. Thankfully, it fell on a weekend this year so you were free to be miserable all in your lonesome.

Or, at least you had planned to until the EPL fixtures messed up your plans.

Man City was coming down to London for a match. De Bryune was not playing. God forbid, not with his injury but he was more than happy to be around to provide some moral support. However, given he did not actually have a game to play, he found a nice gap in his schedule to catch up.

When he first told you, your mouth went instantly dry. He had been so excited, there was no way you could sour his mood by declining the invitation to hang out. But, you also knew your gig was up. You had managed to keep a somewhat neutral line of communication and not give anything away while you were away. There was no way you would be able to keep that up face-to-face. Especially not on the one day every year you had to be completely vulnerable with yourself.

You heard the buzzer and inhaled deeply, summoning whatever strength you had to at least keep up some facade for the next hour or so.

You opened the door to a beyond excited De Bryune. It was infectious and you could not help but smile back as he pulled you into the biggest hug, swinging you around. You squealed in response and laughed as he replaced you on the ground.

“Took you forever to find your way back. Did you get lost?” He joked, as he shrugged off his outerwear.

“Work was always busy,” you reasoned calmly. It was only a half lie. It had genuinely gotten hectic as you slowly climbed the corporate ladder. Too hectic for a trip back to England? Probably not. Afterall, you had managed multiple trips around Australia and Asia. But, it was as good an excuse as any.

“How is it being back? How have you been?”

“I’m fine,” you shrugged a response as you popped into your kitchen.

“Tea?” you offered, not really waiting for a response as you popped two mugs on the countertop and threw a teabag into each.

De Bryune looked at you funnily as he took a seat at your tiny dining table.

“Who sent you flowers?” Kevin asked conversationally upon spying the fresh bouquet in the corner of your kitchen.

“No one, I bought them,” you responded hesitantly.

“Oh, who are you giving them to?”

“N-no one.”

Kevin raised an eyebrow, “but you don’t buy flowers for yourself. You said before that it was sad and pathetic.”

Shoot, you forgot you had said that to him once. What he did not know was that you indulged in flowers once a year as a remembrance gift to Lemy.

You spun round, frown set firmly on your face as you replied a little defensively, “I didn’t mean it like that.”

Kevin laughed, raising his hands as if he was surrendering, “yes, yes, everyone changes. You’ve become prickly,” he commented and you looked up, a little put upon at being called out.

“Am I?” you asked, trying to cover over it before asking, “How is Michele? How is everything at home?”

“Good, good. She says hi. Everyone at home is wondering when you’ll come visit. Mason and Rome want to show you their new baby brother.”

“Mmhmmm,” you paled a little at the mention of his kids. You should have known there was no way this man would not mention his clan but the last thing you needed right now was any reminders of children. Or, specifically the baby you did not have.

You turned away, busying yourself with brewing the tea. De Bryune cocked his head at your odd behaviour and waited for you to join him at the table before continuing the conversation.

“So?”

“So?” you repeated.

“How’s work been?”

You quietly sighed with relief that Kevin had moved onto what felt like a ‘safe’ topic, “good, good. Busy but good. There is so much to do now and I’m still trying to wrap my head around it all. Like, I’m supposed to be making some of these decisions and I don’t want to.”

You laughed a little as did he, glad to see some life in you. There was a long lull and De Bryune was slightly unsettled by how little you had to say. The friend he had would have wanted to know what every player had been up to and how they were. The friend he had would have asked about the match today. The friend he had would have asked for a detailed rundown of everything the children had been up to but there was a tension in the air that was palpable and told him that none of these topics were safe for you.

“What’s going on?” He tried again as you fidgeted endlessly with your mug.

“Nothing,” you responded, furrowing your brows. You looked up at De Bryune, stubbornly trying to prove your point but it only proved his when he saw how dull your eyes were. You looked like a shell of your warm and vibrant self.

“What?”

Oops. He might have said that last but out loud.

“You just look like a shell of yourself. What is going on?”

“Nothing,” you answered again, unconvincingly.

“Why do you keep lying to me?”

“I’m no—“ you started but De Bryune’s stern look stopped you mid-sentence.

“I’ve known you since you were 9. Why do you think I wouldn’t know? You sound like you’re lying to stay out of trouble but you’re not in trouble? Not with me, at least. You know, I’m always here for you, to help you. And if not me, you can also lean on Michele.”

You opened your mouth and then closed it again because you could not find the right words. So many years of running, so much time spent alienating them and here Kevin was treating you with such grace and love. You did not deserve this. You hung your head and you could hear him shuffle.

“I don’t know what’s going on with you but I’ll get out of your hair if that’s what you need right now.”

You felt your lower jaw slacken. It was not that you wanted to push him away, you just found it easier than talking. But if not now with Kevin, when would you ever be ready to talk?

“I was pregnant,” you mumbled quietly to yourself, more as practice at sounding the words out than anything else. The words felt weird coming from your mouth.

“What?” Kevin asked. Maybe he heard wrong.

You looked up, tears in your eyes as you repeated yourself. Your voice was shaky but the words were clear as day when you spoke, “I was pregnant.”

-

< prologue | master list | chapter 2 >

[rnodric]

de bryune come to real madrid and i will give redheads rights

[cloudsofcorduroy]

I also think he should go coz clearly Tuchel does not see him being a part of this team at all. And I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a Salah, De Bryune ot Lukaku situation 😂

yeah, he doesnt really fit into Tuchel’s system at the moment. ive accepted that he’s going unless we win the champion’s league bc where do you go after your club has won a trophy like that, you know?

[footballconfessions]

Oh my god, I agree with everyone who are kind enough to point out the fact that Mbappe is getting INSANE HATE. When he scores a goal by himself, he's selfish for not assisting his teammates. When Messi or Neymar assist his goals, he's a tap in merchant and depending on Messi/Neymar. When he gives an assist to them, he is less confident and a bad player. Bruh tf do you want him to do? Be a goalkeeper, a midfielder and a defender all at once?

He plays as a striker in PSG so why does it matter if he has less assists and more goals than Messi and Neymar. What is wrong with Messi being a playmaker and give assist to Kylian? PSG is benefitting from that lmao. Kevin de Bryune and Foden are responsible for more than 80% of Erling's goals but nobody calls him a tap in merchant because it's just an agenda against Mbappe. It's ridiculous that people are not seeing that he's a good player .

[amoveablejake]

You Never Know...Right?

Why do we do this to ourselves 

At the beginning of the 2020/21 Premier League season I wrote a prediction piece for the year ahead. How that went, whose to say but rest assured I will be held accountable for my horrendous predictions in a piece soon. But today, is not that day. No, because today, less than a week until the 2020 European Championship begins (yes, 2020) I am going to throw down the gauntlet and make some more outlandish predictions that will come back to haunt me. Well, sort of predictions. Last time around I went through every team but I’m not doing that this outing quite simply because I don’t know each team well enough (sorry North Macedonia) so instead I will be going through them group by group and then immediately regretting what I’ve cursed my favored teams with particularly those with the three lions on their chest. *Sigh* Lets get going with the heartbreak shall we. 

Group A: Italy, Switzerland, Wales and Turkey 

I am always nervous about the Italian team. That’s not because of the historical strength of the Italian side and the masters of the game they have produced over the years, its not because of the wonderful kits they have this time around, its not because of the strength of the Serie A, no, its because they won the 2006 World Cup. And sure, since then they haven’t ever hit that height again, even missing out on the previous tournament but as that was the first true World Cup I can remember I live in fear of them. The team this time around is good, I would say even better than that one in 2006 in some key areas but its missing that spark. That Pirlo magic, that knowledge that Buffon is in goal ready to protect you. Ofcourse, I’m sure that Chiesa is going to make this his tournament and run rings around his opponents as he has been doing all season for Juventus. As for the others in this group, Switzerland and Turkey are those sorts of teams that always have an upset in their back pocket and are capable of rallying against the odds to progress further than they may have been tipped for. As for Wales, they are probably the other favourites to progress alongside Italy but I think it will be a much tougher road for them to get out the group stage and if I had to pick my top two its going to be Italy and Switzerland. Lets watch that age badly shall we. 

Group B: Belgium, Finland, Denmark and Russia 

Despite not winning the 2018 World Cup Belgium still managed to exit the tournament with a great sense of accomplishment and have enjoyed sitting at the top of the Fifa world rankings in the last couple of years. A position they do deserve, the Belgium squad is filled with wonderful players, De Bruyne, Mertens, Lukaku, Courthois and two Hazards. The thing is, Lukaku is coming off the back of an intense title winning season in Serie A, De Bryune is suffering an injury and Eden Hazard, well, its not clicked at Real shall we say. Belgium are truly a world class team but I don’t think this will be their tournament, they should however, make it through this group with relative ease. ‘Should’ being the operative word there. As for the others, I would love it if Denmark could make it through to the knockout stage and they do have a good, capable team but I think it will be Russia who make it out. As for Finland, I don’t know too much about the team but I’m always excited to see if an underdog can perform and capture my heart so maybe that will be them. They do have one of the finest kits of the tournament afterall. 

Group C: Austria, North Macedonia, Netherlands and Ukraine 

Like the Belgium group this is another one where you look at it on paper and see the Netherlands storming into the knockout rounds. And yes, they absolutely should. They have a wonderful team that qualified with ease. The orange clad men always seem to enjoy a good run out at international tournaments whilst always falling short of the finish line. I do enjoy watching them play and progress and thats no different here as I’ll be hoping that they do get through. They should, again ‘should’, be joined by Austria but I would love it, absolutely adore it, if North Macedonia went through. What a lovely time that would be. I’ve just realised I haven’t mentioned Ukraine which probably means they will win the entire tournament. 

Group D: Croatia, Czech Republic, Scotland and England 

Here we go. World in motion. Heartbreak city. The England squad is potentially one of the strongest its ever been, sure there are some omissions and the starting xi may not be what I have in mind but boy oh boy do I believe. I believe. And I will believe for about two minutes into the Croatia game. This is a group that has heartbreak written all over it and as a true England fan that is what I’ve come to expect. Pain. Pain that will ultimately come from a brief fleeting moments of the best football you have ever seen and daring to beleive it may infact come home only for that to be ripped away. Its how this works. I’m not even going to talk about the other teams beause I don’t want to tempt fate. Fine. I like Croatia even after all the suffering they have brought us over the years, Czech Republic are always strong and its nice that Scotland have at last come to the party. I just wish it wasn’t in this group. 

Group E: Poland, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden 

For me, this group is all about Lewandowski. After this truly historic season with Bayern I hope that run of form continues into the Euros. Lewandowski is one of those players I’ll be boring the children about and speaking of how incredible his forty one goal season is. It would be great to see him perform with Poland and to take them into the knockout stages and who knows, as Zlatan isn’t with the Sweden team that may happen. As for Spain, like with Italy their triumphant run of trophies from 2008 to 2012 (two Euros and one World Cup) has made me increasingly aware of them and I used to adore watching that team of Torres, Villa, Casillas, Xavi and Iniesta play. But that was then and this is now and the Spain team of 2021 isn’t quite the same of the masters of old but still, they should be progressing here. 

Group F: France, Portugal, Germany and Hungary. 

If Hungary make it through this group. Man alive, we should give them the trophy there and then. This is the party group, the group of death. Three incredible teams going up against each other including the Euros holder Portugal and the World Cup winners France. There are a lot of great narratives running through this group, Portugal are once again being led by Cristiano Ronaldo who is ofcourse desperate to win another trophy and cement his already concrete legacy. Germany are once again looking strong and this is Low’s last outing with the team before passing the reigns over to Hansi Flick. Not to mention Hummels and Muller have been recalled to the squad. And then, there is France. I adore this team, sorry, j’adore this France squad. It is filled with wonderful players (okay you’ve twisted my arm I’ll name them, Pogba, Kante, Lloris, Varane, Griezmann, Giroud, Benzema and Mbappe). They’re such a strong side and play with truly wonderful elegance. They won the World Cup in 2018 for a reason and have only grown stronger. Benzema has been recalled after carrying Real Madrid and Mbappe, well, he’s alright I guess. 

 Writing the above yet again highlighted the fact that this is an incredibly hard tournament to win. There is truyl world class talent on display and no team will walk to the final. But, you have to beleive right. And sure, tears will be flowing, I have no illusions about that, but for now its nice to beleive that maybe just maybe France won’t obliterate us too much. 

-Jake, a man who is getting ready to apply for a French passport, 06/06/2021

[andyrobertsonz]

fuck OFF de bryune u ed sheeran lookalike . Put some fkn sun cream on

[frenchcurious]

Lors de son premier jour de travail, en 1910, le Dr Bryun à New York, dans son ambulance tirée par un cheval à sauvé la vie d'un bébé touché par une fuite de gaz. - source Another Vintage Point.

[rickstheraven-blog]

France win the World Cup 2018!

But every single team won our hearts this year (except you, Germany, you can fuck off lmao)

France 🇫🇷, the second youngest team in this WC, shone bright and clear. They were unstoppable, and even though they had quite conceded, they fought back. Umtiti and Varane, walls for the French team. Pogba and Kante, the players working behind the scenes. Griezmann and Giroud, and Mbappe. Mbappe! 19 years old! Nineteen! He's written history for his country, and man, he's definitely on his way to be one of the greatest. And let's not forget Hugo Lloris' briliance, despite the mistake he made this match.

Croatia 🇭🇷 defied all odds. Having had only 4.1 % chance to win the World Cup which was predicted before the world cup started.The likes of Rakitic and Modric in the midfield, the lethality of Mandzukic and Rebic up front, and the strength of the might Subasic!They reached the finals and made the population of 4.1 million it's proudest ever in Croatian football history, stomping Argentina and the favourites like England.

England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, despite the crazy loud fans, gave the English people hope. "It's coming home" started off as a joke, seriously, they knew their team were going to go out early, due to the pathetic performance of recent years. But heck, they reached the semi finals and them fans dont know what to do except revel in the moment. They fought well, but you can't expect the team not to bottle when they have 5 Spurs player in it (LOL). But anyway, great performance by the team, and I can see them shining in the coming future

Belgium 🇧🇪! The golden era! Hazard, Lukaku, De Bryune, Mertens, and Carasco! A flawless counter attack, a set piece adpated midfield, and a brick defense. A shame they didnt make it to the finals, they really were amazing and consistent throughout the tournament, and thanks to one of its players, Batshuayi, we have the golden meme😂

Brazil 🇧🇷!!! Oh well. What can I say for this team?

I supported them in 2006, 2010, and 2018. Only switched in 2014 because Argentina were excelling and I had to support my idol, Messi, for once.

The reason I support Brazil? Brazil's style of football was, unique. You see, all these years, no team had ever entertained me like Brazil (but this year, every team entertained me, except Spain) , it's Ginga and the dance to the game every individual participates, the samba that ripples through the pitch and out to all the fans.

But this year, despite the hype before the WC, we lost to Belgium in the quarter final, an excellent team.

We lost Dani Alves before the WC due to injury, and just imagine if we had him in the squad, how lethal would it be to have Marcelo and Alves running both sides of the pitch? And just imagine if Ney played like 2014. His antics this wc are to blame, it was in excess and just like Ronaldo said, we expected more from him.

But then again, I do not want to look at the negative side of the team. The other stars shone in the team, Coutinho, Willian, and Costa. Exceptional performance, and no matter what people say, I can totally see this young side achieving the Copa America 2019, and possibly, the World Cup 2022.

gif credits to Anna's gif

Many more teams I want to write about, really (Japan, especially) , but it's best I end it with the team I had supported.

This World Cup kept me on my feet, was a surprising and exciting spectacle. All the teams came prepared. Four years worth of training, practicing set pieces, analyzing potential opponents, and the determination, courage, loyalty spewed was overwhelming.

Alas, four years come and ago, now you guys will not see anymore World Cup posts from me until 2022 lol.

Congratulations to France, once again.

[tarttheart]

PRECIOUS LOVE: CHAPTER 3 - JAMIE TARTT x YOU

summary: in spite of your best efforts, you make a Richmond connection.

word count: 1.1k

warning: language, mention of pregnancy loss

-

chapter 3: showed me how to live again

In a way, telling De Bryune had been so freeing. Why you had not told anyone before was beyond you. A weight lifted off your chest and you felt ready to live again. You were ready to move forward.

You started socialising again, coming out of the shell that had formed in the last few years to rediscover some old friendships and make some new ones. No one knew and no one needed to know. You just needed to remember you had more life to live, even without baby Lemy.

It had probably been close to ten years since you had last seen Emma so it was a much anticipated catch-up. Good food, good company, good vibes. You were solidly on your journey back to becoming yourself when you felt your world change again in a second.

The bell rang at the restaurant signaling another group entering. You paid no attention to the bell, until Emma stood and squealed.

“KEELEY FUCKING JONES!”

“EMMA FUCKING GRANT!”

Your breath caught in your throat. You recognized that name, you knew that face. It had been impossible not to come across Keeley’s face when you had looked up Jamie for research purposes that fateful day. You thought you had figured out how to avoid Jamie Tartt. Afterall, it had been months and you had done a splendid job so far. What you had not expected was having mutual friends with Keeley Jones.

You forced a smile, trying to keep a pleasant demeanor while the panic set in. You felt the restaurant starting to narrow.

“Keeley, meet my friend from university,” Emma said to Keeley, gesturing to you before turning to you and continuing with, “Keeley and I met on set when I did that parttime job as an extra in university. Remember?”

You did remember. In fact, you had egged her on to do it. Ah, what a cruel twist of fate. Had she not done that, you would not be trying to keep yourself together through these pleasantries.

”She has just moved back to London after spending a few years abroad. You guys should totally hang out!”

Ah, fuck. You mentally swore at Emma. Bless her cotton socks for trying to help you make friends but fuck her for choosing Keeley Jones.

You prayed in the moment that this was one of those times everyone said “we should definitely do that” and never do it. Because the last thing you needed was to spend time with the ex-flame of one Jamie Tartt. The further you could be from his orbit the better because you knew if you got too close, he could suck you in again. He would do that, you knew. His gravitational pull was just too strong.

-

Unfortunately for you, Keeley was not the kind of person to not follow through on hanging out. In fact, she had been so keen that you found yourself at yet another dinner the next day with Keeley and Emma. It had not been for a lack of trying on your part to get out of it but the sweethearts made every effort to accommodate your needs, delaying dinner to an ungodly hour and reserving a restaurant near your office.

”You’re very quiet tonight,” Emma observed.

“Yea, sorry, big week at work. I’m exhausted,” you apologised easily, taking another big swig of your wine.

“I don’t bite, babes,” Keeley quipped, “not much anyway.”

Keeley and Emma roared with laughter and you smiled as the two chattered on. You really just had to get through this one dinner with Keeley and you would be able to get on with life.

“Babes, we are going to be best mates, yeh? Next time Em’s in town, she’s going to be fucking livid she fucked off to Oxford.”

You forced a smile and nodded but neither really waited for you to react as they continued on their own trip down memory lane. Some people might have found it exclusive but you knew it was not personal. You just did not have much to offer to the conversation. Afterall, you did not want to be there. So, you took comfort in not having to share more than you wanted to. This was but a blip in the matrix of your life and it would all go back to normal soon.

Except it did not.

Keeley genuinely stuck to her word that she was going to become your best friend, completely dashing your hopes and dreams of a lonely uneventful life in London. You remained steadfast in your position that Jamie probably had the strongest magnetic pull an individual could have but Keeley was a very close second. You knew anyone remotely close to Keeley would be sucked into her orbit and that was not a bad thing. In fact, you had come to enjoy Keeley’s presence. Her energy was both refreshing and energising while being calming and relaxing. She could have been the perfect best friend, if only Keeley had nothing to do with one Jamie Tartt. But maybe, if you were careful and only met with Keeley in certain settings or situations, it could work. Maybe.

It was another Saturday and Keeley had brought brunch to your place as was routine now. It had become a little bit of a ritual for the two of you to have breakfast together on Saturdays like a little faux therapy session. You had come to look forward to them and you were just so pleased to have found a safe space for you and Keeley to be friends. As long as you met in an environment you could control like your home, you knew Jamie would not be a problem. He could not be a problem.

You were really in need of a ‘session’ today to serve as a distraction from some pretty strong memories. Afterall, this was the day that you found yourself alone in a hospital waiting to have the surgery done many years ago. It had been an extremely challenging affair and the day had changed your life. For so many years now, you had allowed it to define your life, distinctly separating everything into either pre-Lemy and post-surgery. So, every year, it felt apt to pause and think about it. Was it weird that you felt the need to grieve and be sad twice a year? Maybe. Was it unhealthy? Probably. Did you need it? Absolutely.

You stared at your sonogram again, taking a moment to grieve but also thank your past self for being so brave and comforting her for the tough choices she made on her own. You would have probably basked in her sorrows for longer had Keeley not been knocking on the door. You haphazardly shoved the little print in a book on your coffee table before letting Keeley in. You just needed to keep living.

-

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