#jamie tartt x reader secret relationship

[danistartt]

Gentleman- Jamie Tartt

pairings: jamie tartt x reader, richmond team warnings: language. i think i read this one too many times. about: request! secret dating because reader works for Richmond (as like pr or physio or something) but when they win a match one day Jamie is so overcome with joy he just has to kiss her

“Don’t you think someone is bound to get worried you’re coming in here every day?” you wonder, pinching away individual blades of grass stuck among the fuzzy dandelions of Jamie’s socks.

“Nah,” he says, watching your careful attention from his place on the pillow. He’s feeling bad about putting his muddy shoes over your clean lap, but you haven’t complained once, only appreciating the easy access to touch him. “They don’t know I come up here.”

You look perplexed. “Where do they think you go?”

Jamie shrugs. “The loo?”

“The one not in the locker room? Six times a day for ten minutes?”

“I keep myself hydrated,” he tells you, lifting up his water bottle to wag it at you. “Y’know, to keep up appearances.”

You chuckle, pushing the web of your thumb around his ankle and trying to touch your pointer. Your phone blinks up at you, the time precarious. Your hand slackens. “You need to get back soon.”

Jamie gets that sticky feeling he does whenever he has to leave something, gross and pleading at the pit of his stomach, his every cell calling out for him to use his time better. He wants to touch you like you’re touching him. He shifts onto his elbows and stares at you. “I can be a little late.”

You frown at the idea, your hands still and warm on his calves. “No, Jamie.”

“Yes, Jamie,” he murmurs, his arms making quick succession in tugging you to him. He’s strong, he’s always been strong, but you don’t tend to notice until he’s pulling you out from beneath his legs and hugging you in a single movement.

You don’t want to encourage him but you want even less to not make your delight shown at being pressed against his chest.

The minute changes. Your care for it begins to dwindle.

“Jamie!” you squeal, not moving. 

He says your name in the same tone, as condescending as he used to be but sweetened by the kiss he presses against your hair. “C’mon, love,” he encourages, a horrid influence working.

“No,” you insist weakly. “Ted’s waiting for you. The team’s waiting for you.”

“But I’ve been waitin’ for this all day,” he complains pointedly. “Maybe I should trip o’er the ball or somethin’. Make a nice excuse to spend hours here with ya.”

“Jamie Tartt? Not believable.”

He makes a pleased noise, pressing another kiss to your forehead. “You’re right.”

Another minute. Ted’s brown eyes bore into your subconscious.

Painfully, you peel yourself off of Jamie, slotting his thighs between your own. You watch his pupils dilate from above him.

“No,” you start, gently holding his face in your hands in a plea and causing the opposite effect you’d meant to. “No time. Later.”

He grasps your coat tightly.

“I promise. Just go to practice.” You spy the time and scramble off of him. “Now.”

He groans, catching your wrist when you hurry to collect the loose strands of his hair. He holds up a hand, pinky finger outstretched, and stares in question.

You roll your eyes but hook your own through his, a grin making its way to his face. “Y’know these’re binding, right?” he asks pragmatically.

You’d taught him that. The prick. “Yes,” you say exasperatedly, trying to pull him off the couch.

“‘M goin’,” he mutters, letting you. “I’ll see you in half an hour.”

“No you will not,” you gasp. “They’re going to think you have a bladder infection.”

“I’ll make somethin’ up,” he shrugs, looking around. He picks up your keys off your desk and wags them. “Maybe you dropped your keys when you were headin’ in.”

“Jamie,” you warn. “You can’t leave the team so much because, beside the fact that they’ll notice something is up, you actually like being with them and—”

“I like you better. A lot prettier.” He closes his fingers around the keys.

You inch closer slowly,  but he’s undeterred and blows you a kiss, leaving your office with only muddy tracks left in his place before you can catch up. “Do not come by in half an hour!”

He listens to you. Kind of.

You see him a few hours later, a cocky glaze on his features, keys clicking against one another. “Hey, doc, I think ya dropped somethin’.”

You snatch them from him. “What a gentleman.”

“Right? Had to fight for it, too. Coach must really like returning keys.”

“How’d you get him to give them up?”

“I jus’ left,” he shrugs.

You gape at him. “What?”

“I told ‘im I found your keys, he said he’d give ‘em to you after practice. I said you might need ‘em now and then I just went inside ‘fore he could call Will over. I should actually be gettin’ back now, our screaming break’s probably over.” He slinks over to you and kisses your forehead, smelling like grass and sweat and lavender detergent.

“What?” you echo.

“I’ll see you later. Can you pick up some food before you get home? Kent don’t really like it when I leave the screamin’. Says it’s most effective on me.”

He smiles at you, waves, and leaves you perplexed.

You put down what he stole from you and notice vibrant pink peeking beneath metal, a green stem’s end through the ring. When you pull it out, you recognize it as one of the flowers that keep growing at the far right edge of the field. You melt into your seat, pouting at the crumpled petals.

-

“So, what’s the verdict, Doc?” Ted asks when you come out of your room, dipping a finger behind your right glove.

“He’ll be okay. He can play this week’s game as long as he doesn’t put too much pressure on his foot. I told him to ice it periodically for two days and then just make sure it isn’t swelling.”

“No permanent damage, then?”

You laugh. “No permanent damage.”

Sam pushes your door open, leaning on a crutch.

“How you feelin’, champ?” Ted asks.

Sam shrugs. “I’ve been better. At least Doctor Y/n gave me the all clear for this week.” He looks pointedly at you, as if Ted might need confirmation from you.

“Under what conditions?” you pry.

“Rest, ice, compress, and elevate,” he lists off his fingers.

“The most important for you, Mr. Obisanya, being…”

“Not being on it for two days,” he answers, ever the great student.

“I wish all my patients listened as well as you do,” you commend, letting him go with a smile.

Ted watches him go, turning back to you with a cheery expression. “Well, thank you, Doc.”

“It’s what I’m here for.” You toy with your gloves, listening to the team erupt in noise once Sam assumedly gets back.

“And also to bring a smile to all our faces. Not to say that’s a purpose. Just a nice bonus.”

You laugh. “Thank you, Ted. Is there anything else you need from me?”

He shakes his head. “Oh, no, no. Just wanted to ask if you were interested in goin’ out with the team and I tonight.”

“Where are you going?”

“Oh, just the Crown and Anchor. We haven’t officially asked ‘em yet, but one thing that doesn’t change no matter where we are is that athletes always appreciate a good drink with good company.”

“Very true,” you murmur, contemplating. You hadn’t gone out with the boys in a while and you were beginning to miss their antics. You could sit around the house for the evening, or you could spend that same evening a little drunk with your friends. “You know what? Sure. I’d love to.”

“Alrighty then!” Ted cheers, pleasantly genuine in the way no one else is. “I’ll let ‘em know. We’ll see ya later, Doc!” 

“You too, Ted!” you call after him, slumping into your chair once you’re alone. Your phone vibrates from the table, lighting up with a picture of Jamie that he’d insisted you set as his profile picture. “Hello?”

“Coach says yer coming with us tonight?”

You stare at your door. “He just left. How could he have possibly already told you that?”

“Team groupchat. He was very insistent about it an' m'honestly not that upset about it anymore.”

You laugh. “I am going. Are you?”

“Course. D’you want me to pick you up?”

“How do we explain that?”

“I’m a gentleman?”

“To this degree? Do you think they’d believe that?”

“I’ll go before. Help ya pick out your clothes, put ‘em on?”

“You’ll see me when I get there.”

“C’mon, love. I want to be the first.”

“You always are!”

“Do you really wanna risk that streak?”

“Yes.” Other voices begin to filter in, still far away but getting closer. “I’ll see you there, Jamie. I love you.”

Jamie pauses, a soft shuffling noise preceding what is clearly Jamie’s palm curving around his phone’s speaker. “I love ya, too,” he whispers. You hang up, leaning into your seat. Your phone zzpts in your hand.

send a picture. Three dots, blinking in and out. please.

Humming, you debate it before: i’ll think about it. 

-

Jamie, of course, is the first to see you.

He looks for you in every creak of the pub door, slyly craning his neck to check for the color of your hair or the burgundy coat you tend to wear on these outings. When he finally catches sight of you, he looks away, satisfied to have been the owner of the first glance.

The others spot you quickly, raising their beers in your direction. Zoereaux puts your drink in your hand, cold bubbles splashing the curve of your thumb.

You thank him, kissing his cheek in greeting as the others crowd you. “Maybe I should be worried you all know my order.”

“Absolutely not,” Ted chimes in from your other side. “Knowledge is love.” He hugs you too. “Glad you could make it, Doc.”

You push yourself onto a seat next to Jan Maas, tipping your glass at him. “You look nice,” he says.

“Thank you,” you respond. “You too.”

“Doc?” Isaac asks.

“You can call me by my name, Isaac.”

He wrinkles his nose and shakes his head. “Nah. Feels weird now.”

“Alright. What’s up?”

“My sister says thank you for the advice. Her leg’s all better now and she told me to invite you over for dinner.”

“She doesn’t have to do that.”

“She insists.”

“You should just accept,” Colin says. “She makes a good Shepherd’s pie and won’t give up.”

Isaac nods, jutting a finger in his direction.

“Of course, then. Can’t wait.”

The conversation continues, and you indulge a glance at Jamie to find him looking back at you, an inquisitive pull to his brows. Your eyebrows jump, trying to ask a question with only your features.

You pull your phone from your pocket and begin typing out a message for him when the topic somehow heads back to you.

“Hey, d’you end up going on that date?” Bumberbatch asks suddenly.

You blink. Jamie turns to him curiously. “What?”

“With the prick. You know. Coiffed hair, All puffed up.”

“Um.” You try very hard to not look at Jamie, who’s surely staring at you with wide, amused eyes. “Yes. Yes I did.”

“How’d it go?” Isaac urges. Your mouth is open with no certain words to comfort.

“Yeah. How’d the date with the prick go?” Jamie pipes up, sliced brow up. He’s awful. Truly, truly awful and he knows it.

You force a smile at him. “Not as bad as I thought.” The team mumbles in satisfaction but Jamie doesn’t give.

“Not as bad, huh?” Jamie repeats, lips thinning in thought. “I dunno.” He does a little shake of his head and licks his lips, meeting your eyes again. “Maybe it went a little better than that?”

You clear your throat, heat rising to your face though you try desperately to keep it down. 

Colin raises a brow. “Why would you say that?”

Jamie shrugs, unfairly unphased. “Just askin’.”

The attention moves off of you. You glare at him.

He smiles and, in the wake of a controversial argument between cartoons, winks at you. Your legs go weak.

-

You’re supposed to sit with the coaches during matches. Keeley had been upset at first and Rebecca sorry, offering a replacement medical professional for a game if you were so inclined to observe a game from the box seats, but you’d refused. Your place, although precarious with flying balls and the grandest source of stress, is kind to you. 

You sit behind Ted during matches. The back of his head is surprisingly comforting in the tensest points of a match, and you find you can catch the preliminary movements of his fingers when you’re nearby.

There isn’t much contorting you have to do to sprint into the field if you’re needed, and the seat itself isn’t too bad when you’re not. Also, you have a great view.

You’re close enough to feel the strength with which the players kick the ball, you’re part of the very exclusive audience to the coaches’ hope, and when he gets close enough, Jamie can hear your cheers for him very clearly.

You’re completely sure he can hear you now, shouting at the top of your lungs up front with the coaches, fists tight enough to shake. He speeds up with renewed energy, the ball a blur between fast legs and fake passes. You grasp Roy’s arm with everything in you and let your eyes move to the timer. Less than fifteen seconds to go and a tie glares in blocky red numbers.

Your fingers spark with something hot, curling tighter around Roy’s wrist when the ball is passed to Jamie.

The time goes by too slowly and the ball flies too fast, a defender slamming to the ground with his hands up as Jamie’s kick sends the ball into the net. The clock ticks for the last time. The arena erupts in sound and a combination of red and blue.

You scream, finally letting go of Roy to drag your hands to your face. Isaac and Dani embrace on the field, most of the others running toward Jamie but Jamie is sprinting toward you.

You realize too late what’s going on, too proud of Jamie, too dizzy on adrenaline and excitement to realize what’s about to happen and why it shouldn’t.

He comes up to you beaming, picking you up easily and spinning you around. You respond immediately, palms against his warm cheeks, lips pressing repeatedly against his forehead and then finally his lips. “You did so good,” you praise, hoping he can hear you even through the overwhelming noise. “I’m so proud of you.”

He grins, finally catching your lips and lowering you to the floor. It takes only two seconds for what happened to settle in. You can see it on his face, the exhilaration contorting into recognition. He finally looks away from you and gulps.

The stadium is still loud, but most of the team is looking at you, caught in differing positions of celebration. Ted stares at the both of you, jaw dropped.

“What do we do?” he whispers to you. “Do you think they’ll believe it if we say it was an accident?”

“No,” you respond just as quietly. “No, I don’t think so.”

[nameless-jamie]

Your ff are so adorable! Especially the PA ones 😍😍 Could you write one abou Jamie having to go to practise or sth and so he absentmindedly puts his arm around PA and kisses the top/side of her head and gies without a second thought and she's just dumbfounded. Maybe the Team saw and teases Jamie about it so to proof that it's not a big deal he just continues to do that and PA doesn't know why he does it but she likes it and doesn't stop him and the Team notices that too? Thanks 🤭🤭🤭

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Masterlist

Jamie Tartt x fem! PA reader

A/N: Thank you for all the nice messages guys! I'm okay I guess. my writing is kinda shit but I didn't want to not post. Love ya xo.

TW: cursing, suggestive language/scenes, kissing

Jamie had never been good at keeping secrets—especially when it came to things that made him happy.

And right now, the thing that made him happiest was the fact that he was secretly sleeping with his personal assistant. Yes, Y/N his assistant he's been in love with basically since day one. And now they are a thing—they are something...

Well—okay, it wasn’t just about the sex. Though Jamie would be the first to admit that the sex was fucking incredible. But it was also everything else—the stolen moments, the whispered jokes, the way she looked at him like he was the best thing she’d ever seen, even when he was being an absolute dumbass.

It had been weeks since that first confession, that first kiss, and that first night he’d held her close in his bed, murmuring against her skin, Fuck, I love you. And since then, their relationship had been a secret. Their secret. To the team it was normal that they were together at all times, Y/N was his assistant so it was kind of her job, nut no one had to know that there was more going on behind that...or so Y/N thought.

Which was why it was so fucking annoying that Jamie was the one who nearly blew it—and the worst part? He didn’t even realize it.

It happened on match day.

The Richmond locker room buzzed with energy—the rhythmic stomping of boots, the sound of jerseys being pulled over heads, the usual banter filling the space as everyone geared up. The air smelled of sweat, fresh grass, and the faint sting of muscle rub. Jamie was on autopilot, tying his laces and nodding along to Dani’s enthusiastic rambling. His mind, however, kept drifting—back to Y/N’s smile, the warmth of her skin against his the night before, and the way she’d whispered his name like it was her favorite word.

Then, without thinking, Jamie stood, and walked straight over to Y/N who was focused on her iPad and paperwork, he slung an arm around her shoulders, pulled her into his side, and kissed the top of her head.

Right in front of the entire team.

“See you later, babe,” Jamie murmured, giving her a squeeze before heading toward the tunnel.

It wasn’t until he was halfway down the corridor that he realized the locker room had gone dead silent.

“What?” Jamie turned back, confused, only to find every single one of his teammates staring at him like he’d just announced he was quitting football to become a magician.

“Oi.” Isaac raised an eyebrow. “The fuck was that?”

Jamie blinked. “What was what?”

“That,” Sam said, gesturing toward Y/N, who stood frozen in place, eyes wide with shock staring at Jamie.

“What? I was just sayin’ bye to her, like always.”

“Saying bye to your girlfriend, or what?” Colin teased, his smirk spreading. “Mate, we all know you flirt with your Y/N a lot, but that was next-level boyfriend shit.”

“And she let you do that,” Jan added suspiciously. “She never lets you do that.”

Panic sparked in Jamie’s chest. Shit.

Y/N was still standing there, her cheeks flushed, lips parted slightly as if she was trying to process what the fuck had just happened.

And then, because Jamie was a fucking idiot, he shrugged and said, “Nah, mate, that’s just how we are. That's just our relationship, like uhhhm like friends.”

The team exploded.

“Since when?!”

“Oi, have you two actually been shagging this whole time?”

"Jamie, we are friends and you've never kissed me on the head like this!"

“Jamie Tartt, you dog! She your girl now?”

“It’s not even a big deal,” Jamie insisted, though his ears burned. But the warmth in his chest—the memory of Y/N’s soft, startled smile—refused to fade.

“Oh, it’s a big deal,” Sam grinned. ��Because she didn’t stop you. That is not Y/N-like.”

Jamie opened his mouth, then shut it.

Shit.

Y/N hadn’t stopped him.

She was still looking at him, no outrage or teasing retort—just that same dumbfounded look, like he was the surprising part, not the team’s reaction.

And that did something to Jamie—something warm and solid that settled right in the center of his chest.

Which was exactly why he did it again.

The next morning, before training, he found her near the pitch, slung an arm around her shoulders, and pressed a quick kiss to the side of her head before jogging onto the field.

The next day, after a press event, he casually pulled her into a half-hug before walking away.

And the day after that—

“You’re doing it on purpose now,” Y/N accused, arms crossed as she cornered him outside the locker room.

“Dunno what you mean, babe.” Jamie grinned and tugged a piece of hair behind her ear.

“Yes, you do,” she huffed. “You keep touching me in front of everyone!”

“Yeah, and?” Jamie tilted his head, gaze softening. “You gonna stop me?”

Silence. Y/N opened her mouth, then closed it.

Jamie raised an eyebrow.

More silence.

“Shut up,” she muttered, cheeks heating.

His grin widened as he stepped closer, pressing a lingering kiss to her forehead. “Didn’t think so.”

By the end of the week, the team was losing their minds.

“Oi, Jamie!” Isaac shouted across the pitch during practice, cupping his hands around his mouth like a megaphone. “Your missus is watchin’! Better go give her a kiss, like you do all the time.”

Jamie didn’t even hesitate. He jogged past Y/N, threw her a quick wink, and called back, “Yeah? She likes what she sees.”

“Jesus Christ,” Colin muttered, shaking his head as Dani and Richard burst into laughter.

Later that day, as Jamie passed the conference room, he overheard Sam and Colin plotting some kind of intervention.

“Do you think he even realizes how obvious they are?”

“He knows,” Sam replied. “He just doesn’t care. And honestly? Respect.”

But Jamie did care.

It wasn’t just about teasing the team or sneaking touches when he could—it was about Y/N. The way she smiled when she thought no one was looking, the way her eyes softened whenever he got close.

Each small gesture felt like a promise: I see you. I choose you. Every single day.

And maybe—just maybe—he was tired of pretending. He wanted them to know. He wanted Y/N to know that he meant it. He wants their relationship. He wants her to be his girlfriend.

The next match day, Y/N stood by the locker room entrance, clipboard in hand, looking as composed as ever. But Jamie caught the way her fingers tapped nervously against the paper, the way her gaze flicked to him when she thought he wouldn’t notice.

He noticed.

So this time, when he walked past her, he didn’t just sling an arm around her shoulders.

He stopped.

Turned. Grabbed her head with both hands.

And kissed her.

Properly.

Right there, in front of the whole team, the coaching staff, and probably half the stadium staff.

The locker room erupted in shouts and laughter. Someone whistled. Dani clapped like he’d just watched the greatest love story of all time.

Y/N gasped against Jamie’s lips, her eyes wide as he pulled back, breathless and grinning.

“Jamie—” she started.

“Yeah, babe?”

“You’re such an idiot. I thought we wouldn't tell anyone.”

“I want everyone to know that I'm yours,” Jamie agreed, brushing his thumb gently over her cheek. “I’m your idiot.”

The team hollered.

"Fucking, finally!"

"Yeah about damn time, bruv."

And this time, Y/N didn’t argue.

Instead, she smiled—soft and certain and just a little bit in love.

And Jamie knew, without a doubt, that he’d never keep this secret again.

Not when it felt this good to be hers.

[writtenbymoonflower]

Hello!! I literally finished Ted Lasso and am IN LOVE with Jamie Tartt (this may or may not have to do with the amount of fics I’ve read recently). Would you be up for writing a Jamie x reader where they’ve been secretly dating for a while and the team finds out, perhaps with a reader that works for AFC Richmond as like they’re photographer or something?

Omg babe I need more Jamie fics in my life. Jamie Tartt x fem!reader

cw: swearing, hickey, jamie tartt being a smug asshole

776 words

You can't stop subconsciously rubbing your neck, likely from the anxiety of wondering if your makeup is doing an adequate job covering the smattering of love-bites on your neck. When your fingers came away with a chalky coating of powder, you kept your hand frozen by your side, your free hand jotting down notes as your boss kept rambling, careful to filter the necessary information from the side tangents. 

“You get all that, babe?” Keely looked up from her computer, half apologetic. “I’m so sorry my brain has been all over the place lately.” 

“You’re okay Miss.” You looked up, eyes catching on the man winking at you from across the room. He was looking nearly sinful with a towel slung over his bulky shoulder, skin gleaming with sweat. You stiffened, handing the clipboard to your boss. “Does this all look right?” 

She mumbled as her eyes scanned the page. “Perfect! Thank you so much, Y/N. I'm serious when I say I would be a complete shitstorm without you.” She glanced at the clock. “Oh, bugger! It’s gone 1. Why don’t you take your lunch, I’ll figure the rest of this mess out.” Her perfectly manicured hand shooed you from the office. 

“Thank you Miss.” You contained your smile, glancing at Jamie. He was still looking at you, brown eyes burning into your form. You scampered off, closing the door to Keely’s office on the way out. 

The hallway was oddly barren of players and staff, excepting the boy leant casually against the doorframe of the gym bearing lazy smile on his face. You walked up to him timidly, looking around the room to make sure there were no suspicious eyes. 

“Hey cutie.” He said, running a hand through his blonde hair. Your legs felt like jelly, only made worse from the pinching heels on your feet.

“Hey Jamie. Are you okay? Why aren’t you in practice??” You looked over him for injuries, expecting to find some blooming bruise or irritated scratches. He smiled at you. You could tell he wanted to reach for you but didn’t want to risk the exposure. 

You were the main reason the relationship between you two was a secret. Jamie would shout it from the rooftop if he could, but you were still unsure. You weren’t ashamed by any means, but you couldn’t help but feel pressure. You were dating one of the most well-known Richmond players. (one who was also on a dating show made entirely up of very attractive people). Nevertheless, Jamie treated you like a rare diamond. 

“You can stop checking me out, babe. I’m alright. Coach is just havin’ us run laps. I finished first.” He was sickly sweet, if not a little boastful, looking you up and down, smirking like a cat who got the cream. “How long do you have on your break?” 

“Just under an hour.” You subconsciously glanced at a watch that wasn’t there. His grin grew as he pulled you towards the locker room. “Jamie, what if someone walks in?” Even as you protested you couldn’t help your own smile from spreading over your face. 

“Trust me, love. The lads are slackin' today. The only one who is going to finish in the next hour is Dani, and that chipper prick will stay and chat the Coaches to death.” 

You sighed, letting James tug you into his arms. He smelled like grass, rain, sweat, and himself. It was intoxicating. “I missed you.” You mumbled into his chest. 

“Missed you too, lovely girl.” He chucked, pulling you up for a kiss. No sooner did he deepen it than you heard a crash behind you. You tried to jump away from Jamie but he held onto you. You turned around to find a sheepish-looking Sam slowly backing away from the door. 

“I- I am so sorry.” Sam looked like he was trying to shrink down to bug-size. “I’ll just, I don’t want to interrupt.” 

“You’re ok-” 

“God, Sam, mind your fuckin' business.” Jamie faux-scolded. Sam slightly smiled. 

“I am.” He put his hands up in a ‘don’t shoot’ gesture. “And don’t worry, your secret is safe with-” 

Right when he said that, a crowd of about ten players scrambled into the locker room, all pausing when they took in the spectacle in front of them. You could see them looking between Sam, you, and Jamie who still had his arm wrapped around your waist. The room was dead silent, until someone spoke up from the back of the group.

“Well now we know why Y/N comes to practice so much.” 

“Shut the fuck up Jan Maas!” Upwards of five people shouted.

[thewritingofamadwoman]

That’s My Girl

Another attempt at writing Roy Kent. Inspired by the amazingly sweet @onceuponaoneshotfanfic

Pairing: Roy Kent x Fem!Reader (established relationship)

Warnings: Tons of fluff, more of Roy Kent’s potty mouth, a secret relationship and Jamie Tartt being the reader and Roy’s unofficial child.

Enjoy!!

The second the words “no curfew tonight” came out of Ted Lasso’s mouth, you just knew the evening was going to be a fun one. Both you and Roy had agreed on the way to Amsterdam that you’d both spend the last night together, sightseeing and then staying in bed for hours while everyone else was none the wiser.

As the team’s co-pr manager, it was imperative that you tagged along on the trip for business reasons; Rebecca also told you if you didn’t come along and enjoy yourself she’d purposely make your life hell. So here you are, on the charter bus with the rest of your friends. You looked down at your phone, the time reading 5pm. Roy suggested meeting up at around 9pm, when everyone else was surely going to be in their rooms. It was the perfect plan…which meant it probably wasn’t going to happen.

You looked over at Roy, who gave you a sly wink before getting up and roaring at Jamie Tartt.

“Not for you Tartt!”

Your beloved got up and grabbed Jamie’s bag, tossing it to Will before storming outside. Jamie, depressed that he’d be spending the rest of his time in Amsterdam training, got up from his seat reluctantly. Before heading out, he stretched and looked back, noticing you seated in the back. As if having a moment of clarity, his brain immediately came up with what he thought was an ingenious plan. He called your name and once you looked up at him, he put his plan into action.

“Hey love, do you have any plans right now?” He smiled, everyone else on the bus discussing their potential curfew free plans.

“Not really, I was gonna head back to my room and nap for a bit I guess. Why?”

Jamie’s smile widened.

“Nahhh a gorgeous girl like you alone in a hotel room? Not happening. Come on, hang out with me and grandad for a bit.”

You laughed, and so did some of the players listening in.

“Fuck it, why not?” You said, and the bus is filled with loud cheers once more as you made your way towards Jamie, who took your hand and pulled you out of the bus with him. The first thing you saw was Roy’s back to the bus as he stretched his legs.

“Took you fucking long enou-what are you doing here?” Roy asked, his face full of genuine surprise. You shrugged and pointed to Jamie who smiled like the cat who caught the canary.

“This stunner was going to go back to the hotel alone and take a nap. In one of the worlds’ most beautiful cities. I couldn’t let that happen. And who better to keep her company than us fine, young gentleman. Well, some of us more young than others, isn’t that right grandad?”

Roy gave Jamie a deadpan expression and growled lowly. You shook your head and chuckled.

“I hope that’s alright? You don’t mind do you, Roy?” You gave the poor man one of your sweetest smiles, one that Roy had fallen in love with over the course of the last few months. Roy sighed and eventually nodded, the thoughts of the night he had planned for the two of you going down the drain. Jamie cheered and punched Roy’s shoulder, jogging backwards with his hands in the air.

“Come on Roy! Lighten up! Here, I’ll run ahead while you two trail behind me. Can’t have gorgeous here run in those heels. Fantastic heels by the way,” Jamie said as he ran his gaze from your heels to your face, winking as he reached your eyes. The striker was doing his absolute best to get Roy to react to him flirting with you. He knew the coach had feelings for you, it was painstakingly obvious. But he doubted the man would ever make a move. So his “genius plan” was to spend the evening turning on the signature Tartt charm as much as he could until Roy had no choice but to confess his love for you. The perfect plan, Jamie thought to himself.

You blushed at the compliment and laughed , shocked that he was flirting so boldly with you in front of your boyfriend. Not that he knew you two were an item, but still. Roy, on the other hand, was glaring so hard at Jamie that it was a surprise the young man hadn’t combusted into flame. Jamie gave you both a very cheeky smile, turned around, and began to run.

“Come on, grandad! Keep up!”

Roy growled and you laughed once more, causing the older man to look at you.

“And what are you laughing at?” Roy grumbled, stuffing his hands in his pockets as you two began to walk, keeping Jamie in your sights as he ran up ahead.

“At how easy it is for Jamie Tartt to get you riled up. He’s only being silly, don’t let it bother you,” you smiled, reaching over and placing a hand on Roy’s arm.

“And besides, we did want to sightsee, and now we get to do that earlier than planned,” you added, looking around at the beautiful city around you. Roy scoffed and looked back at you.

“Yeah, I wanted us to sightsee without Jamie Fucking Tartt running around like a child we need to keep on a leash.” You giggled and Roy’s lip ticked upwards, the sound of your laugh being one of his favorite things.

“I don’t know babe, this might be a glimpse into our future,” you teased sweetly, looking at Roy playfully. Once again, Roy snorted and turned to look at you.

“Please, our children will be way more behaved than that twat.”

“Oh, so you’ve thought about our future children hmm?” Your heart soared at the thought of Roy seeing a future with you. Roy looked at you dumbfounded, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Of course. Why the fuck wouldn’t I?”

Your heart melted, and you were about to reply when Jamie suddenly appeared from behind the both of you, squeezing himself in between you and wrapping an arm around each of your shoulders.

“Look at you two, looking all chummy. And look at this magnificent city! Have either of you seen the tulip gardens? Or the windmills? We’re actually coming up to the world famous Skinny Bridge, just up ahead. Did you know that it’s one of the most romantic places in the world? Legend says that a kiss between lovers while on this bridge ensures that they will be in love forever. Isn’t that LOVELY, Roy?”

Jamie had pulled you both close to him, and thus each other as he continued to spit fact after fact about the romantic connotations of the bridge. Roy looked murderous, annoyed at Jamie’s incessant chatter. Roy had originally planned to take you to the bridge later that night to share that very same fact. He was a romantic at heart, and you were one of the very few people to know that about the mysterious Roy Kent. He was also a man with a VERY short fuse.

“Fan-fucking-tastic,” he growled, and the striker stepped forward from between the two of you and turned around, running in place while he faced you.

“I think it’s lovely, Jamie,” you said, trying to defuse any tension and placate the young man. Jamie beamed at you.

“I thought you would. I bet even someone as tough and grumpy as Roy believes in true love, don’t you Coach?” Jamie began his jumping jacks while looking at Roy, who only grunted in response. The Mancunian then pulled out his phone and handed it to Roy.

“Come on Coach, take a few pictures of the two of us and I’ll take a few of you two as well!” He said enthusiastically as he grabbed your hand and pulled you along with him towards the bridge. After a few photos with you, Jamie suggested he take a few photos of you alone on the bridge. You agreed, posing and laughing, causing both men to smile as they watched you. Roy even let out a laugh as you posed dramatically on the railing of the bridge. As you continued to look out onto the water, Jamie nudged Roy.

“Look at her, mate. She’s fucking stunning. Do you think she’s seeing anyone? I mean, any man would be a fool not to snatch her up and never let her go. I mean, look at her,” Jamie nodded towards you as you were being approached by another young couple who asked you to take their photo. Roy watched as you smiled politely and took a few pictures of the couple, watching you light up as they loved the pictures and thanked you. Jamie watched Roy’s expression, seeing how the man let down his guard as he looked at you. Jamie nudged him again.

“Go on mate, don’t let someone else come along and steal her away. Don’t let another man have the opportunity to stare at that bum. I mean LOOK at that ass-“ Jamie was cut off from his sweet-turned-idiotic ramble by Roy advancing on him.

“Watch your fucking mouth, Tartt,” but before Roy’s fist could collide with his face, Jamie called your name, catching your attention.

“Would you like some pictures with Coach Kent? I’m sure he’d love to take some with you!”

Jamie watched as Roy glared at him before walking over to you to stand next to you almost begrudgingly.

“What, don’t want to take a picture with me?” You teased him and he gave you a look.

“Don’t start, you know that’s not true.”

“Come on now guys, you’re on a romantic bridge. How about you pretend to, you know, be in love or something. Like a couple. Pose couple-y. Go on.”

You and Roy looked at one another, before you decided to just play along. You stood close to Roy and placed a hand on his chest, stepping closer than you usually would when you weren’t alone together. As if running on autopilot, the second you stood close to him, Roy’s arm snaked around your waist. Jamie whistled and Roy glared even harder than before. You could tell Jamie was starting to get to him.

“Just take the photo please, Jamie.” You pleaded with a small smile. You had a sneaking suspicion that Jamie knew what he was doing but didn’t want to think of that yet, choosing to focus on the smell of Roy’s cologne and the feel of his warmth against you. After a few pictures, Jamie decided to start up on his training again and began skipping forward.

After a few more stops at historic landmarks and a few more ridiculous flirtatious comments and innuendos from Jamie, you paused for a moment of respite by a chip shop. Jamie went in to use the bathroom when you turned to Roy, who was fuming.

“I’m going to fucking kill him. If he talks about windmills ONE more time, I’m going to throw him over the fucking bridge!” You giggled at his anger and tried to soothe him, placing a hand on one of Roy’s arms.

“I don’t know if you can tell, but I’m pretty sure Jamie is either on to us or really wants to play match maker,” you admitted and Roy grunted.

“Yeah I know, he’s a smooth as a bull in a china shop. Phoebe would have been more subtle than him,” You let out a laugh and nodded and Roy continued. “I have half a mind to give in and tell him. But watching him think he’s failing at getting us together truly gives my soul the peace it needs.”

You laughed harder and Jamie finally made his way back with an order of chips in one hand and a tulip in the other. He walked up to you and handed you both.

“Crisp chips and a flower for the lovely lady. Coach maybe you should take notes, this is how you treat a beautiful woman,” Jamie preened and you could see Roy’s resolve begin crumble. Jamie was going to leave Amsterdam with a black eye if he didn’t stop pushing Roy’s buttons. You decided you had enough and made your move.

“I don’t think Roy needs any tips on how to treat a woman, Jamie. He makes sure I’m nice and satisfied at least twice every morning before even heading off to work. Now, if you’re done teasing him: yes we’re together, no, no one knows except for you and we’d like to keep it that way please, and thank you for the chips. Shall we continue?”

You didn’t wait for Jamie or Roy to reply before stepping forward and making your way down the cobblestone street, popping a warm chip into your mouth and twirling the tulip in your hand. Roy’s eyes followed you, full of pride and love, impressed at how you handled the situation. Jamie, however, looked like a fish out of water, mouth opening and closing before finding words.

“You fucking cunts, you’ve been together this entire time?? For how long?? I’ve been trying to get you to admit you like her for HOURS!”

Roy gave a smug, satisfied smile.

“Not that it’s any of your fucking business, but today marks six months. And I had fucking dinner plans tonight but you and your fucking windmills ruined it.”

Jamie was still gaping, staring back and forth between your retreating figure and Roy’s smug face.

“Six fucking months?! Roy Kent, you absolute legend. She’s wonderful, I’m happy for you Coach.”

Roy smiled and for a split second, he could see himself becoming closer friends with the team striker.

“Oi!”

Your voice brought both Jamie and Roy’s attention back to you.

“Are you two coming or not? I was promised windmills and I want to see windmills!”

You smiled at your boys, one hand holding your flower and chips and the other hand on your hip as you waited for them to come to you.

“That’s your girl, mate.” Jamie teased as he looked at the taller man. Roy smirked, a genuine smile before nodding his head.

“That’s my girl.”

And with that, both men caught up with you. You passed the chips to Jamie before hooking your arm with Roy’s, the three of you making your way to wherever the windmill hunt took you.

[iguana-eyanna]

Shadow of Himself

Pairing: Isaac Mcadoo x Reader

Summary: Isaac's teammates try to guess who is mystery girlfriend is.

"Bruv, it's gotta be a Victoria Secret model" Jamie Tartt says.

"Nah, mate. She's an American singer, he's been obsessed watching the Voice for months." Colin Hughes says.

"American? Not international?" Richard Montlaur suggests, creating a louder argument with the team

"Okay y'all, what's going on? Y'all playing Guess Who: Celebrity edition?"

The boys turn around to Coach Lasso, Beard, and Kent as they stood by the entrance of their office.

"Coach, do you know Isaac's new lady lover?" Dani Rojas asks.

"I don't seem to know why I need to know." Lasso said, placing his hands in his pockets.

"I'm hosting an end of a season dinner at my restaurant for the whole team. Isaac asked me if he could bring a plus one." Sam said, feeling guilty he accidentally slipped it up to the whole team.

"And that concerns you how?" Beard asks.

"It's just news to us, no one knew about the girl. Not even Colin!" Bumbercatch pointed out to a solemn.

"You think you know a man." Colin says to himself, lowering his eyesight.

"Don't you think calling Issac's partner 'girl' a bit degrading?" Roy said, creating an unsettling silence in the locker room.

"Coach is right. I think we should be a tree and 'leaf' the situation. If Isaac is ready to tell us about who's dating and what not, we'll be here to support him."

"Ready for what?" Isaac said as he walks in with his bag.

The team try to stammer a lie, making Roy mutter a small 'fuck this' under his breath as he went inside the coaches' office.

"Uh, the dinner at Ola's. I've added a new dish to the menu!" Sam saved the conversation, hoping to not have a chair be thrown at his direction.

"Nice." Isaac said, walking over to his bench as he gets ready to go home.

Everyone of his team makes subtle eye contact with each other, wondering who would bring up the sensitive.

"Isaac, when are you going to bring your secret lover?" Jan Maas asks, ripping the bandaid as he always does. The whole team groans, throwing their used towels and dirty laundry at the Dutch player.

"Can't keep a secret from you all." Isaac muttered, snickering at the thought in a second.

"So you are seeing someone?" Jamie asks in a genuine tone.

"For everyone's information, yes. I am seeing someone. And no: she is not a model, singer, or a Romanian Spy." Isaac says, staring directly Thierry Zoreaux on the last part, who raises his hands in defense.

"You will meet her at the party, but till then, no one digs into my relationship. Got that?" Isaac demands. The whole team nods in agreement and go along their day, afraid to be stared down or beat up their captain.

Soon, Isaac drives home with a content smile on his face after he picked up some Thai food for dinner. He then gets outta of his car and unlock his door, seeing a pair of shoes that are 5 times smaller than his.

"Love, you here?" Isaac asks, as he takes off his shoes. He then lifts his head to see you standing there with a jean flared-skirt, beige blouse that silhouetted your figure just right, and your hair styled in an updo.

"Please tell me you got my pumpkin curry? They were out last time." You pleaded.

"You're in luck. They had it tonight." He said, raising the plastic bag for you to see.

"Gahh you're the best. Before heading back here, I grabbed you these for dessert." You raise your arm to show him his favorite candy, Rolos chocolate.

"That's why you're amazing" He said, giving you a kiss as he dips you down with his strong arms. Soon, you two set up dinner and talked about your day.

"Really, a Romanian Spy?" You ask, as Isaac told you what his friends were guessing your profession.

"Well you would look great in a spy costume."

"You wish you would." You remarked as Isaac slapped your but lightly, making you yelp and blush. You return the favor as he yelped louder and turning back to you with a mischievous look in his eye.

"You don't think me being a school librarian would make them think I'm boring?" You ask, looking up at him as you two sat down.

"You kidding? I think it's great you help out kids. And if they don't, i'll rough them up."

"I don't think your coaches will like it if you sent them to the hospital." You remark.

"Let them, cause no one will ever say a bad thing about you on my watch." Isaac said, taking your hand and kissing it.

You smile, feeling very confident in your relationship with him. You were a bit skeptical of course, as he was flaunting his money to impress you when you two were first dating. The both of you had a serious talk that splurging should be kept to a minimal (especially when you can't even afford to get his favorite cologne with 3 paychecks alone.)

As for the secrecy of your relationship, you two just wanted to spend your time privately with each other. He didn't like the idea of the press looking at his relationship under a microscope. But now that his team knows he's seeing someone, he realizes his privacy might not last for long.

"I wanted to ask you something."

"Oh no, that sentence never ended in a good situation." You remark, placing your glass down. You two scoot closer to each other by the table, and Isaac takes his hands in yours.

"I wanna introduce you to the team. Sam is having a private dinner party for the end of the season. No press or cameras, it will be just me introducing my amazing girlfriend to my friends."

"I'm your girlfriend now?" You quip an eyebrow, smirking.

"If you like to be... I mean what do you call four months of dating-"

You cut him off with a kiss as he holds you tenderly, melting underneath your sweet lips.

"I'd love to come."

Isaac smiles brightly as he kisses you again.

+

As the season ended, Isaac drove you over to Ola's and parked a few feet away. He looks over nervously by the window as he bounced his knee.

"Hey, are you alright? If not, we can leave." You said, placing your hand by his thigh.

He doesn't respond as his eyes dart to his designer shoes.

"Are you afraid your friends are going to say something?" You ask, knowing that his friends have a mouth like no body's business.

"No it's not like that, it's just... I used to be this big shot man who was undefinable. And when I'm with my mates, I become this dick that I don't recognize. I'm just afraid you won't like me if you see the worse parts of me, since it's pretty hard to imagine a life without you innit."

Your eyes soften as he finishes. All this time, you thought that you didn't matter enough to his adventoruos life when it was him that was having these insecurities.

"Isaac. I understand what I was getting into when I found out you were a pro-footballer. You come with a package, and yeah, every man has a very shitty phase but you pointing it out matters. Don't beat yourself up because you used to be a rich twat-"

He shoots you a glare, but he turns it into a snicker.

"I love you, and I hope that the both of us can grow into better people." You intertwine your hands with his.

Isaac looks at you with those dark brown eyes that you adore so much. He's been beating himself up for thinking he wasn't good enough for you. But it was because of you that he wanted to be a better man.

He takes your hand and kisses it.

"Lemme introduce my amazing girlfriend to my team."

Eagerly getting outta of the side of his car, Issac opens your side as he walks with you hand in hand to Ola's. He takes a deep breath before looking at you then walking inside where he's greeted by his new family, now forgetting why he was ever scared. He'll never be a shadow of himself, now that he has you as his light.

+

"So are we sure she's not a Romanian spy?"

"ZOREAUX!!!"

[its-time-to-write]

masterlist

i figured it was time to make one. it's in order based on when i wrote it. please, please let me know if a link is broken/mislabeled!!

*82 fics*

All of these are Jamie Tartt x reader

dress

Jamie and Keeley buy you a dress for the benefit gala

three times 'cause i've waited my whole life

secret relationship to engagement

you're losing me

first kid

don't make this any harder

Jamie wants to take you to Brazil, you’re both idiots

would hit him in a heartbeat now

Your ex boyfriend is a footballer and also a douche

silent sleepers

Jamie contemplates your relationship on the team bus

what it is

Jamie is sick ft. Roy

don't go wasting your emotion

Secret relationship + you own a bookshop! Ft. Roy and Keeley

you know, you'll always know me

You’re a famous singer! Congrats!

i don't know how you keep smiling/i'm just choking almost constantly

Jamie’s dad is a douche

i'll still be right next to you my dear

Jamie is a dad

can't really say i'm enjoying it now

Yikes it’s a breakup fic, but happy endings only in this house

mine of you with me

Reader and Jamie go semi-public with their relationship

today's a day like any other

The Tartt family thru the years

there's orange juice in the kitchen

Oof ouch period cramps

i can't breathe without you

Nate kisses you w/o consent

damned if i do give a damn what people say

You’re a theater actress! How exciting!

island made of faith

People think Jamie’s dumb, and he’s not

take your time while you're mine

You’re Roy’s other sister ft. all the Kents

honey, i'll give you all my time

Vienna. Enough said.

feeling fragile can't you tell

Jamie gets hurt

wrote all your lines in the script in my mind

Oh no! Some girl kissed Jamie and it wasn’t you! + Colin as the bff

stick together like glitter

Babysitting Phoebe + angst

your mind is not your friend

Angst + comfort after you have a bad hookup

chasing shadows in a grocery line

You’re pretty sure you have a hot stalker

don’t go yet

Tee hee protective Jamie at a club

kicking myself to keep from crying

The morning after your mind is not your friend

i think we could do it if we tried

High school sweethearts reunited after 6 years🥺

i’m glad you exist

You and Jamie go to a wedding

send for me

BREAKING: shit day at work made better by local boyfriend

tell me where to put my love

day off = food + snuggles

bored

The longest angst I’ve ever written. Def not the best angst I’ve ever written.

would it be enough if i never gave you peace

you’ve got baby fever and your pretty sure it’s going to kill your brother

wishing on every one

You own a flower shop. It’s adorable.

lyrical eyes, indigo smile

Bea meets the team for the first time!

something to rely on

You storm the pitch and smooch your bf

flipped the script

Enemies to lovers slow burn (or maybe fast burn, idk)

i fancy you

London Boy by ms. T. Swift

you don’t want to know me

Jamie shows up at your door after s.1 Man City

you’re in the kitchen humming

Post-Mom City

family that i chose

For the child-free girlies!

never wanted you to hate me

Pt. 2 of you don’t want to know me

wonderstruck

BFF Keeley tells you to give her awful ex a chance

in love with an idea

idk it’s like a confession of love? kinda cute

sinking into your worn-out mattress

Touch-deprived therapist! reader

you’re a mansion with a view

just two footballers doing an England promo, nothing to see here

i know what i’m doing

Post-Roy/Jamie locker room hug after Man City

wonder what it’d be like

Jamie tries to win you back

if only love were true

You’re a single mom in dire need of a plus-one

i know now it’ll pass

It’s hard to love someone when you’ve been told you don’t deserve it

the way it goes

The Greyhounds are protective of Jamie

how to love being alive

Idk this one’s like whatever and also supes long

there is happiness

GEORGIE GEORGIE GEORGIE

it’s just wanderlust

Relationship soft launch

glitter on the floor

You like to knit. You also think you’re a comedian.

maybe tomorrow you’ll know

The “he’s a prick to everyone but her” trope

hustling for the good life

I swear this is my last chaptered fic

let’s fall in love for the night

Kent!reader is having a baby

soft hands hit the jagged ground

friends w/benefits

for you, there’ll be no more crying

anxiety at work + bf jamie

smile at me

there was only one bed!!!!

slow motion double vision in rose blush

happy b-day Jamie Tartt

half-moon eyes

it’s just a question!

can’t hear my thoughts (i cannot hear my thoughts)

I’m allowed to write what i want, ok???

here in my arms

more Kent!reader + a baby named George

coffee at midnight

prick coach wakes you up bc of your prick boyfriend

healing me fine

Just a lil engagement fic for ya

i don’t know anything

if you’re interested in Bea

right words at the right time

It’s a wedding fic

move fast and keep quiet

boxer!reader + smitten Jamie

not saying you’re in love with me

You meet over Bantr!!!

we could be so good

Jamie comforts you after a bad date

i hold it like a grudge

i don’t even know how to describe this one but u might cry

there for you

sick fic

before you go

physio!reader

you’ll probably date her

chronic illness + childhood friends. gotta love it

feel it burn

Gym anxiety

play it back

Old movies of bb Jamie

ours

Thanksgivinggggg

light in the hallway

MORE Kent!reader

stuck by you

Bad family + good Jamie = fic

please don’t be

five chapters of sadness that definitely isn’t based on personal experience

[illiterateaffairs]

DISTRACTIONS IV | CATCHING FEELINGS

pairing: jamie tartt x f!reader (ted lasso)

rating: T

word count: 2,468

summary: you and jamie are a couple...a couple of besties with benefits! that’s definitely all this is. 

A/N: very excited about this one - even though its a little shorter! also wanted to let you all know since i have chapters planned out almost through the end of the season, i have this idea of revisiting chapters and writing “missing scenes” to fill some gaps, like within this one which you’ll see. let me know if you’d be into that?

distractions masterlist | previous chapter

After Jamie showed up at your door the evening following their loss to West Ham, you did not stop sleeping together. Two nights turned into three, and then into four. Once you passed five, you decided to upgrade your relationship to friends with benefits status. Jamie was honestly happy that meant you considered him a friend. 

The two of you usually hooked up after Richmond lost a game, which had unfortunately been happening a lot as of late. Sometimes Jamie would find you after a training session with Roy to relieve some tension. Occasionally you went to Jamie when you were feeling anxious about work or something reminded you of Mason. And while the team mourned the loss of Zava after he announced his retirement, Jamie was the happiest you’d ever seen him. (You think you might have had the best sex of your life that night.)

At some point, you’d added other locations to your repertoire, other than your bedroom and sometimes your shower. On rare occasions you’d meet up in your office for a quickie, or even Jamie’s car in the parking lot after everyone had left when you couldn’t wait to get home. Only once had you tried to spend the night at Jamie’s, but at the crack of dawn, Roy was banging on his door for another practice. That was the last time you did that. 

You had to admit, you got a thrill out of sneaking around. You’d gotten less skittish at the office, sharing secret looks with Jamie during practices. Rebecca was still the only one who knew. A week into your new arrangement, she’d inquired about your situation, which you explained. She still seemed weary, but less so because of Jamie and more so because she didn’t think a casual relationship was the best idea. If you’d asked yourself a year ago, you would have agreed. But now, you kind of enjoyed the lack of pressure surrounding your dynamic. Jamie was obviously very skilled when it came to sex, but he was also fun to be around. Your pillow talk conversations were often the highlights of your day. You’d talk about your days and vent when you’d need to. Sometimes you’d get little nuggets about Jamie’s life and childhood, and you’d let him in on some details about your life as well. The more you got to know him, the more you liked him.

As a friend of course. Rebecca also warned you that if feelings got involved in your situation, things could get messy. But you weren’t worried about it. Sure, you and Jamie playfully flirt from time to time, but you’d do that around the office in plain sight too. It was just Jamie’s thing. This dynamic you had was just innocent, casual fun. That’s what you two agreed to and that's what you wanted. 

Jamie was also enjoying your arrangement. Unbeknownst to you, from the second he saw you, he’d found you appealing. Though, when he’d found out you were working for the team, he thought any chance of hooking up with you was off the table. Then he assumed you were seeing Sam, and he would absolutely never interfere with one of his best mate’s relationship. But when he’d found out you were available, he’d crumbled under the pressure. He got to know you a little bit, which made it harder to initiate anything. That was until you initiated it that night in his car and he couldn’t have been more thrilled. He honestly hadn’t expected it to go further than that night, but he couldn’t resist you. You were addictive, and extremely good at distracting him. Not just when you were fucking - which was mind-blowing - but also during the in-between moments when you’d whisper to each other under the sheets.Your mere presence was so soothing, he wished he could be enraptured in it all the time. 

That’s honestly the worst part of your deal; that it was secret and he couldn’t just wrap you up and listen to you breathe whenever he felt anxious. 

The fact that you have such a hold on him only adds to his anxiousness, though. He knows that your relationship is strictly sexual, but platonic, and he’s not worried about wanting more than that. He knew he wasn’t exactly boyfriend material, and wasn’t sure if relationships were something he wanted, at least at this point in his life. But he couldn’t help being attached to you. No one’s ever been so kind to him; so attentive and gentle. So, while your arrangement may be fleeting, he wanted to soak up the affection while he could. 

That’s why he feels so off when he doesn't see you around the club today. 

The team had an early training time, so when he didn’t see you before, he figured you probably just hadn’t arrived yet. But then he didn’t see you around lunch time either. He nonchalantly asked Sam if he’d heard from you, as he spotted him while he lifted weights, but his friend hadn’t heard from you either. That didn’t sit right with him.

He tried texting you after that, not once but twice, but you didn’t answer. That was also out of character. He knew it bothered you when there were red bubbles over your apps, but you hadn’t even read the text. 

As a last ditch effort, he even found himself asking Colin or Isaac if they knew anything but of course they didn’t. 

Jamie was nervously staring at your text chain as he walked out of the locker room at the end of the day. Still nothing. Not looking at where he was going, he ends up running straight into Rebecca. He apologizes distractedly before taking another step towards the door, when she calls out to him. 

“She’s at home.” Jamie looks at her with a quirked eyebrow, so she clarifies by saying your name. “She called in sick so I gave her the day off.”

Though he’s grateful for the information, he fidgets nervously, “How did you…”

“She told me about you two, or rather I figured it out. But I haven’t said a word to anyone else,” she explains reassuringly, “Plus you’ve been wandering around like a lost puppy all day. Wasn’t hard to guess why.” 

Jamie flushes, but smiles tightly in thanks before wishing his boss a goodnight. On his way to run some spur of the moment errands, he wonders what kind of things you’ve told Rebecca. 

As the sun sets for the night, you’re finally forcing yourself out of bed. 

You weren’t sick sick. You were on your period, and this morning you’d woken up with a migraine and some of the worst cramps you’ve had in a while. It wasn’t uncommon for you to feel this bad every couple of months, but when it got this severe, there was no way you could function as a human being. So you made yourself persevere through the pain for a few moments to call Rebecca and explain the situation at hand. She was quick to suggest you stay home, and while you weren’t surprised, you still adored her for understanding. Best boss ever. 

When your pain is bad, you can only stomach so much food, so you just pick on things like crackers to hold you over. Now that it was nearing dinner time, and your headache had finally subsided, you were ravenous. You quickly search for nearby pizza places and select the first thing that comes up on Google and place a delivery order. 

While you wait, you curl up with a blanket on your couch and turn on one of your favorite Grey’s Anatomy episodes. You’re only ten minutes in when there’s a knock on your door. You begrudgingly stand up, impressed that your pizza had come so fast. When you pull the door open, you instead find Jamie standing there with a bag of groceries. 

“You’re not pizza.”

Jamie narrows his eyes at you, “And you don’t look sick.” 

Your shoulders sag, “Rebecca told you?” 

Jamie nods, “Yeah, I was worried. Wanted to make sure you were okay.” 

Your heart warms. You pull your door open wider, and he doesn’t hesitate to enter. 

“I’m sorry I worried you,” you shove your hands in your sweatshirt pocket awkwardly, “I’m actually not technically sick, just on my period, which I’m sure is exactly what you want to hear.”

Jamie surprises you by not visibly reacting to your admission.

“Damn, I wish I’d known that, otherwise I would have picked up different things.” he draws your attention back to the paper grocery bag in his hands as he sets it on your coffee table. He starts pulling out items as he lists them off, “I got you some soup, some tissues, a shit-ton of different medicines because I didn’t know what kind of sick you were. Some gummy bears, but that’s just cause I know you like those.” 

You try not to be overwhelmed by his thoughtfulness, “Aw, Jamie, you didn’t have to do that.”

He shrugs, not making direct eye contact, “Sorry most of it's not very helpful. Although, this might still work?” He pulls one last thing from the brown brag: a carton of Neapolitan ice cream. 

You gasp, immediately taking the item into your hands. “You are a saint. I will be saving this for later.” 

Jamie smiles as he follows you to the kitchen where you transfer the ice cream to the freezer. It's at this moment he also realizes you’re wearing one of his Richmond sweatshirts he must’ve left behind one night. He keeps this realization to himself.

“D’you say you ordered pizza?”

“Yeah. You’re welcome to stay if you want, there’ll be plenty.  

“Where from?”

“Uhh,” you scratch your head trying to recall the name of the place, “Pizzeria Pellegrini, I think?”

Jamie groans, “That place is rubbish, you should have ordered from Lucia’s.”

For some reason, a small smile makes its way on your face, “I’m sorry I didn’t consult you first, Mr. Pizza Expert.”

“Well, now you know,” Jamie pulls out his phone and begins tapping up a storm.

“Whatcha doing?”

“Ordering us a pizza from Lucia’s. You like pepperoni, right?”

“Jamie,” you gasp exaggeratedly, “I already ordered one. It will be here any minute.”

“Well, now you’ll have two, so save room. I’ll get express delivery. I need you to try both so you know which is superior.” he snickers and you roll your eyes, “Anything else I should get?”

You shake your head amusedly, but still ask, “Can you get me a side of ranch, please?” 

Jamie scoffs, “Aren’t you getting some with your first order?”

Okay, he knows you too well. 

“Yeah, but every restaurant has a specific ranch. I can’t have Lucia pizza with Pellegrini ranch, that’s insane.” 

He gives you a crazy look, “No, I think you’re insane.” 

“Look, I’m right and you’re just going to have to deal with it.” 

Jamie shakes his head, but bites back a laugh. He orders you a pepperoni pizza with extra ranch. 

As you lead him back to the couch, you catch him up on your evening plans of binging Grey’s.

“But we don’t have to watch if you don’t want to. We can watch something else, or…”

Jamie sits beside you on the couch and shrugs, “You’re the one feeling like shit, we can do whatever you want.” 

“Alright, then buckle up, Tartt,” you chuckle, pressing play on the remote.

As the episode continues, Jamie asks questions about what is happening and who the characters are. Normally, you’d be annoyed with the constant talking over the show, but you like that he seems genuinely interested. So you fill him in on what has happened in the episode so far, and some backstory for the characters. 

“Wait so there’s a bomb in that person’s body?” “Yup.” And then he’s hooked.

Both of your pizzas arrive at different points during the two-part episode, and you give in and admit his pizza place is better. You even let him share your ranch dressing. However, your eyes widen in horror when he goes to dip a piece of Lucia’s pizza into Pellegrini’s ranch.

“What the hell are you doing?” you exclaim, sitting up slightly. 

“I’m going to prove your theory wrong,” Jamie scoffs, shoving the slice into his mouth. 

You watch in anticipation and smirk in satisfaction when he frowns. 

“Okay, you’re right. This is wrong.” he immediately switches out the cups of ranch.

You bob your head up and down, “Yeah, it's sacrilegious.”

“Each ranch just compliments its own pizza so well!”

You press your hand to your chest and smile, “You get me.” 

After dinner, the two of you treat yourself to bowls of ice cream and settle back into the couch. Jamie lets you lay across it, while your feet rest in his lap. With Grey’s Anatomy becoming background noise, you two chat quietly. Jamie tells you about his day and how stressed out the team has been with all the losses.

“I’m sorry I can’t help you destress tonight,” you joke, referring to your usual nighttime activities that are being cockblocked by your favorite week of the month. 

Jamie chuckles, absentmindedly rubbing your ankle. “S’alright. Just being here’s made me feel better.” 

You look at Jamie thoughtfully as he continues staring at your television screen. Before you’re really aware of what you’re doing, you sit up and plant a light kiss on his cheek.

He turns to you a little caught off guard, but not bothered. “What was that for?”

“Just because.” 

You go back in for a kiss on his lips this time, and he immediately reciprocates. When you pull back, you give him a shy smile before laying back down on the couch, wrapping your blanket around you, and turning back to your comfort show. Out of your peripherals you can see a small smirk settle on Jamie’s face as he refocuses on Grey’s Anatomy as well. 

You’re proud that you pulled that off nonchalantly because inside you were feeling anything but. An uncomfortable feeling settles in your stomach as you come to the realization that that wasn’t just a casual kiss. You kissed Jamie because you wanted to, not just as a prelude to sex. All night he’d been attentive to your needs, genuinely interested in hearing what you had to say even when it was nonsensical ramblings about a show you liked, and just an overall sweetheart. The more you think about it, he was always like this when you two were together, even when he was teasing you. It didn’t help that he also looked especially good tonight. 

Holy shit, were you…falling for him? When you explicitly said you weren’t going to?  

Well this certainly won’t end well. 

A/N: this apartment scene and the car scene from part two are the first things i thought of and inspired this whole story :’) can’t wait to know what you guys think!

Taglist: @atabigail @boundtomyfate @sammysgirl1997 @lil-tracys @shephard17895 @alaspice @itsbarbraann @redpool @drmeghanjones @straightforwardly @alex-sulli @aiyaiy @artemismaximoff @roadtoself-love @theloud-yet-quietone @forcesofgrief @kirisimpster​ @geek-and-proud​ @grippleback-galaxy​ @lalla-04p​ @gabbycoady13​ @royalestrellas​ @qardasngan​ @creationcitystreet-em​ @percysaidnever​ @emily-b​ @mrfitzsimmons​ @k-n-e​ @agentstarkid @legobatmans9thab @mrsprongs25​ @escapismqueen​ @scaramou @beardsplitter @gcidrvsh @ringpopdust @marveltg365 it wouldn’t let me tag the last few of you, let me know if its something with your settings, otherwise i can keep trying in future updates! <3

[katsu28]

hiii request for jamie tartt here🫡 i loved ur recent fic sm!!! could you maybe do the acacia flower or sunflower prompt? in my head i see hiding their relationship bc reader is a teammates sibling, but oopsie someone got heart eyes and started rambling haha

or literally anything else is fine too if this doesn’t strike your fancy lol<3 tysm!!!

hello!! i loved this so much, u are a gem for requesting it <3

acacia: a hidden relationship + sunflower: drunken rambling about their adoration, jamie tartt x kent!reader (no physical descriptors so imagine whatever sibling type u want!), 2k

“Are you sure we can’t tell him about us?” Jamie’s voice from where he was fixing his hair in the mirror pulled you away from your book and you glanced over at him. 

This was a question he posed to you all the time, and every single time, your answer was the same—though getting more creative with the details with every occurance. 

“Do you want my brother to gouge your eyeballs out? Cut off your dick? Possibly murder you?” 

Jamie paled, freezing in place. “Not particularly.” 

“Then no, we can’t tell Roy we’re seeing each other.” You picked up your book again, ready to resume your reading, but Jamie let out a noise resembling that of a kicked puppy’s whine. His shoulders slumped and he trudged over to you, throwing himself down on the bed in front of your crossed legs. 

Setting your book aside for good this time, you watched him make himself comfortable with his head in your lap, cheek pressed against your thigh as he looked up at you with the puppy dog eyes to match his previous whine. 

“I hate all the secrets. I have to lie to him, straight to his scary face, every fuckin’ day. D’you know how stressful that is? How stressed I am?” He huffed. You bumped your knuckles against his chin affectionately.

It wasn’t fair, Jamie having to face Roy and lie everyday when you had to do it a tad less often, but it was a necessary evil. One day, you’d tell your brother, but first you had to figure out how. 

This, among other reasons, were the downsides to being in a secret relationship with Jamie. There were tons of upsides too, no doubt about it. 

You had the privilege of seeing a softer, sweeter side of him that was reserved only for you, but you couldn’t go out in public with him. Nights in were your favorite dates, but sometimes you wanted to go to a fancy restaurant and eat expensive food and share a dessert with your boyfriend without needing to worry about the tabloids having a field day of it all. 

You could already see the headlines if the press ever caught wind of your relationship—AFC Ricmond Star Jamie Tartt Bags Manager Roy Kent’s Sister. They’d stir shit up, claim that Jamie was only with you because your brother was in a position of power over him and who knows what else. 

Most of all, you certainly couldn’t let Roy find out you were seeing one of his players, especially not Jamie fucking Tartt. They were friends now, but he’d always been overly protective of his sisters ever since you were all kids. He’d throw a fit and probably kill Jamie, then you. Well, he probably wouldn’t go that far, but you’d definitely be on his bad side until he got over himself. And you loved your brother to death, but he was a dickhead sometimes. 

“I’m gonna get early wrinkles, love. You don’t want me to have those, do ya?” 

“I think you’d look adorable with wrinkles. Like a cute little old man.” You dotted a kiss to his forehead, attempting to smooth out the crinkle between his eyebrows with your thumb. 

“That’s not funny.” 

“It’s a bit funny.” 

“Right, since you obviously don’t appreciate my problems, I’m off.” Jamie heaved himself off the bed, forcing out a rather overexaggerated sigh. You smiled innocently at him and he rolled his eyes, his own soft smile still on his face. He leaned down to press a kiss to your lips before heading for the door. “Dunno when I’ll be back but don’t wait up for me, yeah?” 

“Have fun, my love. I’ll just be here, thinking about you with wrinkles.” 

“Still not funny!” 

The Greyhounds were out in full swing tonight. Colin had somehow managed to book an entire pub for a whole night so they could drink and have a good time without being swarmed by the press vying for any morsel of gossip about one of the best up and coming Premier League clubs. Good friends, good food, even better beer—what more could anyone ask for? 

Jamie had been taking full advantage of it. That, paired with the fact that he no longer had to follow that god awful diet that deprived him of his beloved ice cold beverage, had led him to where he was right now, leaning heavily against the bar, drunk off his ass due to some sort of drinking game Jan Maas had insisted on teaching him. 

See, tipsy Jamie was fun. Very generous, would offer to buy a round or two, good for a few funny stories the next day. Absolutely pissed Jamie was a textbook oversharer. He didn’t make much sense, so everyone just mumbled a ‘very cool, mate!’ or something of the sort, made sure he didn’t topple over—those kinds of things. 

Roy was nursing his own beer next to Jamie tonight, half-listening in contained amusement as the Mancunian babbled on and on about someone. Who the fuck it was, Roy had no idea, but it was good entertainment and had soon garnered the attention of the rest of the team. Maybe this could be another one of those funny stories they could joke about in the locker room tomorrow. 

“She don’t look anythin’ like you, thank god. Imagine—imagine that! A lady Roy. Shit’s mad!” Jamie mused, amber beer spilling over the lip of the pint. “Nah, she’s the prettiest and the funniest and the coolest person ever and I love her.” 

“Who the fuck are you talkin ‘bout, bruv?” Isaac asked incredulously, looking just as amused as everyone else.

“Mate, I’m talkin’ ‘bout me girlfriend,” Jamie said very as-a-matter-of-factly, like they should’ve known that. “Duh.” 

“You’ve got a girlfriend? Since fucking when?” 

Jamie counted off on his fingers, scrunching his nose in thought. “Erm…four, five months? Maybe six?” He shook his head quickly, correcting himself. “No, not six. Would’ve done something special for six, wouldn’t I?” 

“First I’m hearing of it. How ‘bout you boys, did you know Jamie had a girlfriend?” Isaac asked, looking around. A chorus of ‘no’s and similar answers sounded amongst the others. Jamie’s brow furrowed. “It’s settled then. Who’s got the heart of the great Jamie Tartt?” 

“Good rhyme, boyo!” Colin chimed in, clapping his best friend on the back. 

Isaac looked proud of himself. “Whoa. I’m a fucking poet and I didn’t even know it.” He accepted another few praises before turning his attention back to Jamie, who looked like he was thinking really long and hard about something. “Okay, back to you. Tell us about her.” 

“I don’t even know where t’start, man,” Jamie sighed happily, resting his chin in his palm. “She’s kind and warm and—and she knows me better than anyone. It’s like…it’s like she’s an angel.” 

It was kind of weird, hearing Jamie be so open about his feelings for another person. He’d always been one to play things close to the vest, so that’s how they knew things with this secret girlfriend had to be serious. 

Sam beamed, happy as ever that his friend had found someone special. “Surely the angel from above has a name? Maybe one of us knows her?”

“Y/N.” 

The room fell silent. Everyone turned to look at Roy, who looked like he was about to start punching dicks. 

“Y/N, like…Roy’s sister, that Y/N?” Sam replied hesitantly, drawing pointed looks from every single one of his teammates. “I’m just confirming! There are other people named Y/N in London, you know.” 

Jamie pointed in his teammate’s general direction, nodding aimlessly. “Yep, her. That’s my girl.” 

Roy stood from his seat without a word, grabbing Jamie under the arm and dragging him towards the door. 

“Hey man, what the fuck are you—” 

“Just fucking shut up, will you?” 

“Okay.” 

You were about to call it quits on finishing your book and turn in for the night when the doorbell rang. When you went to open it, you definitely weren’t expecting to see your brother standing on your doorstep, practically carrying your half asleep boyfriend and looking like he’d rather be anywhere else. 

“Your prick boyfriend got proper pissed. Where do I put him?” 

So Roy knew. And judging by the way Jamie was swaying on his feet, you guessed that he’d been the one to let the cat out of the bag. 

“Erm, couch is fine. I’ll get him settled later.” You opened the door a little wider to let them in and Roy grunted his acknowledgement, hauling Jamie over to the couch and promptly dumping him onto the cushions.

Jamie didn’t even flinch when his face hit the pillows, instead just letting out a dreamy sort of sigh and smacking his lips together without even opening his eyes. You were the one to roll him over onto his side, nudging the dustbin right near his head before covering him with a blanket. 

“How much did he drink?” You asked, smoothing the walnut mist strands away from his eyes. 

“Too fucking much, that’s how much.” Roy grumbled. He wandered over towards a different area of your flat, not wanting to wake Jamie. “Jan Maas taught him a Dutch drinking game, except that fucker can actually hold his alcohol.” 

You cast a fond glance back at your boyfriend, smiling softly at his peaceful face. “Yeah, this one can’t really drink much anymore. Said it’s because of your training regimen, the no beer thing.” 

“Of fucking course you’d know.” 

“I assume Jamie told you about us.” You said quietly, picking at a loose thread on the sleeve of your jumper instead of looking at Roy. Another vague low noise of acknowledgement from him, though it sounded a bit more strained this time. “If it helps you come to terms, Jamie’s been wanting to tell you for ages. I was the one who wanted to keep it under wraps.” 

“Why?” 

You let out a humorless chuckle, shaking your head. “‘Cause I knew what you’d think. Knew what you’d have to say about it.” 

“Are you a mindreader?” 

“No.” 

“Then how would you know what I’d think?” 

“Oh come on, Roy, you don’t think I know how you are? You get…dickish. I still remember you scaring off poor Billy Montgomery in year nine!” 

“Billy Montgomery was a fucking wanker, that’s why.” 

“Yeah, I know that now,” You huffed, scowling. Roy raised an expectant brow at you. “You’ve always been outspoken about the people I date. I just—I didn’t want you to be that way with Jamie. I know you’ve had your differences, and I know you’ve made up, but…I dunno, I was just worried about what you’d think of us.” 

“Do you love him?” Roy asked stiffly. There was a tic going in the hard line of his jaw when he forced his gaze to yours, and it almost looked like he was in the middle of shitting a brick. If you hadn’t been so nervous about his reaction, you probably would’ve laughed. 

“I do. A lot, actually. He’s…everything I could’ve asked for. Everything I’ve ever wanted in a partner.” 

“Then it shouldn’t fucking matter what I think.” Roy said. “Jamie makes you happy, and that is the only thing that matters.” 

To say you were taken aback was an understatement. You’d been so worried about how you thought your brother was going to react to the news, you never stopped to consider that maybe Jamie wasn’t the only person who’d been working to change for the better. 

“Thank you, Roy.” 

Caught up in your heartfelt sibling talk, neither of you had noticed Jamie had woken up and stumbled over to the two of you until he gathered the two of you into a rather squished hug.

“My two favorite people, the Kent siblings! You guys are the best!” He slurred, nuzzling into the embrace. Roy let out a growl, but he patted Jamie’s back stiffly nonetheless. You had to stifle another laugh at how utterly uncomfortable he looked right now. “Oh fuck, I think I’m gonna throw up—” 

“That’s it, I’m fucking leaving.” Roy shoved Jamie away from him, wiping his hands off on the front of his jacket and heading for the front door. “Make sure he doesn’t choke on his own vomit and tell him he’s still got training tomorrow, I don’t care how shitty he feels!”

follow @katsu-library to be notified when i post new fics :)

[thepersonnamedsam]

hello! i hope you’re doing well!! could i request some dating headcanons for jamie x reader x roy? if you’re not comfortable writing poly ships, then just headcanons for Jamie would be fine!! i just found your blog but i just want to say that your writing is super amazing!! thank you!!

headcanons - jt9 & rk6

pairing: jamie tartt x fem!reader x roy kent

summary: headcanons about the favourite poly couple on the field

warnings: i sincerely hope no one sees this as a warning, but still; poly couple, some sexual themes but nothing explicit

note: thank you so much for your request! and i’m glad that you like my stuff <3 it’s more like a story than headcanons, hope it’s okay like this.. :)

masterlist / taglist

roy kent - the man, the myth, the legend, would you ever see him in a relationship? probably. would you ever see him in a relationship with one than more person? but that’s exactly what’s going on

you met jamie first, he was a little prick you weren’t very fond of, but when he transferred to afc richmond, he changed. he also met roy

jamie introduced you to roy and he fell for you immediately - you didn’t

it took you a while to like both of them

but you did like jamie first

it made roy furious - he started to treat jamie like some sort of slut

that’s when you talked to roy and you felt something when he looked at you with those eyes

your stomach churned and your heart fluttered- you didn’t do anything though

what you did do, was tell jamie

he was shocked at first, but he kind of understood your feelings

because he kind of felt those feelings for roy too

you mastered a plan to tell roy, but he crashed it, when he just pulled you aside one day and kissed you

he told you, that he couldn’t stop thinking of you and that he would tolerate the prick

you were so happy, both boys or men as roy would say, now happy and yours

at first you tried to hide your relationship- the team knew you were dating jamie, so the relationship between you and roy and jamie and roy had to be kept a secret

the relationship between roy and jamie was anyway a bit different- they weren’t like a couple couple (at least they thought they weren’t)

it was more like a bromance rather than a romance

hugging and showing love in the way of saying it or light touches was normal between the two, but kissing or even sex, wasn’t happening between the two ballers

as non intimate the relation between those two were, yours with them was even more intimate

jamie is definitely the soft one, he treats you like a princess. does everything for you and wants you all the time

roy on the other hand was a bit more harder. he is a softie inside and only lets you see this side when you two were alone, you loved it though. but when jamie is around, he is this big, rough teddy bear

it was hard for roy to not show you his love around the team

he once even wanted to ask the diamond dogs what to do - until he realised that they also didn’t know

but sooner or later the team found out

it was when jamie’s dad just showed up and jamie punched him, when roy realised that he gave a fuck about what the others were thinking and that jamie needed him right then

the team was about hesitant at first, not understanding the whole dynamic, but they soon understood it and supported you fully

at the end of the day, you three were laying on bed, jamie in the middle of you and roy, his head was laying on your chest and roy was spooning him from behind

your right hand on his cheek, stroking it softly, and the left hand in his hair, massaging it gently

roy had his arm around his waist

you were whispering sweet nothings, told him about your day and how much you missed your boys

jamie is such a softie, but you loved it

he cried that night, but he was glad his two loved ones were right by his side

roy is usually the jealous type- when jamie received too much attention from you he was grunting, not voicing his feelings, just grunting

but it was okay for tonight

you were usually the one who cooked - the boys are on cleaning duty

roy usually didn’t complain, oh but jamie, my god does he complain

„why do i have to clean up the kitchen? you were the one who cooked?“ he would say after you cooked the meal

and roy mostly responded like this: „that’s exactly why we have to do it, you little fuck, she already cooked!“

roy swears like a sailor, we all know that, it didn’t make you uncomfortable, but hearing fuck every two seconds was something to get used to

so he tried to tone it down - it didn’t work

jamie laughed every time when he saw you twisted up face in the beginning

but after some time you didn’t even hear it anymore

but believe me, roy would do anything for you

getting you both from the night club because you were too drunk to even remember where you were

buying you expensive gifts because that’s what you deserve

bringing home flowers to surprise you

helping jamie, because that’s the only wish you ever had - that the two boys would love each other

and they did, in their own way

you loved them and they loved you, very much so

and you were so happy to have them in your life

i mean, how could you not love them

°°°

taglist: @topguncultleader , @lovelyy-moonlight , @youkissedareaderinthedark , @thybulleric

[heretodestroyou]

jamie tartt x rojas!reader where she’s dani’s twin or younger sister and is scared about tell him she’s dating jamie but ofc he’s just over the moon about it 🥹🥹🫶

felicidades!

pairing; jamie tartt x rojas!fem!reader (romantic), dani rojas x sister!reader (platonic/familial)

w/c; 1.08k

fandom; ted lasso (apple tv)

trigger/content warnings; my half-baked spanish, a little swearing, jamie being a clueless himbo, dani being a ray of sunshine,

stella speaks! this prompt is so adorable, i hope i’ve done it justice!! set somewhere after 2x03

Jamie feels bad.

He knows how close you are with your brother. He knows how much you hate keeping secrets from him. But he’s also grateful.

He’s only been back at Richmond for a couple months, and many of the boys are still wary around him. He doesn’t blame them, but they’re all so fiercely protective of you that his biggest worry what’ll happen to him, to your relationship when the cat is let out of the bag.

Your biggest worry is how Dani will take it. Dani isn’t the stereotypical ‘i’ll-kill-anyone-who-looks-at-her’ big brother, but he does take shielding you from the press very seriously. And dating Jamie Tartt? That’ll put you right in the spotlight.

The both of you are reaching the end of your rope, and it’s getting harder and harder to hide it.

So Jamie does the only thing he can think of. He talks to Ted.

He takes his time changing after training, carefully packing everything in his bag, a flimsy but effective way to stay after everyone has gone. He also keeps an eye on Roy, whom he’s paranoid knows Jamie is hiding something.

But the older player simply strolls past him, ignoring him as usual, and after Jamie strains his ears to make sure he’s gone, he bolts into Ted and Coach Beard’s office.

Ted looks up from his computer with a start, Beard’s attention suddenly also on Jamie. He feels the heat rise in his cheeks, but Ted simply smiles. “What can I do for you today, Jamie?”

Jamie takes a breath, and right before he speaks, he spots Nathan coming back in the locker room. He closes the door gently, turning back to the two men.

“I’m gonna be totally honest, I’ve been dating Y/n for two months now,” he starts, and Ted leans forward.

“But the thing is, nobody else except for Keeley knows. She really wants to tell Dani, and she’s not telling him because I asked her not to, but I can tell she really wants to, but what if the team beats me up? Like what if Dani is still mad at me for being such a twat and he gets the whole team to beat me up? Roy especially, he would like totally punch me in the balls and then Dani would make me break up with Y/n, but I don’t want to break up with her, but I also don’t want to get beat up, y’know?” Jamie rushes, his words tripping over each other.

Ted takes it in, leaning back in his chair and nodding. After a few moments of silence, he turns to Coach Beard.

“Coach?” He asks.

“Yeah, Coach?” Beard answers, eyes not leaving the chess game on his phone.

“Do me a favor, Coach.” Ted asks, starting to smile.

“Anything, Coach.”

Ted’s grin widens. “Call the Diamond Dogs together please Coach.”

Beard gives a nod. “You got it Coach.”

Jamie looks between them, not a clue as to what’s happening, when Nathan glides into the room, seating himself on the shelf next to Jamie. Jamie looks at Ted in confusion, but Ted just keeps smiling.

A minute later, Higgins also enters the room and gives Jamie a nod. Simultaneously, the four men start barking, and Jamie’s ready to leave when Ted speaks again.

“Fellas, turns out Beard was right. Jamie is dating mini-Rojas,” Ted says, and for the second time in five minutes, Jamie’s face heats up.

“Problem is,” Ted continues, “he’s not sure how well that’ll go over with the team, and frankly, neither am I. Ideas?”

Jamie raises his hand, and Ted points at him. “Yes, Mr. Tartt?”

“First off, the fuck is happening. Second, the fuck is happening?” Jamie asks, tucking his hands under his shirt.

Higgins grins. “We are the Diamond Dogs, and we are here to help! With your dilemma. Your Rojas Hassle, of you will.”

Jamie shook his head. “Whatever. Do I tell him or not?”

Nathan raises his hand. “Well, what I see the worst-case scenario being is the team ices you out for maybe another couple months. Do you think Y/n will side with you during that?”

Jamie twists his fingers under his shirt. “I mean, I hope so. I would be sad if she didn’t y’know cause�� well she…” he trails off, his head filled with his favorite memories of the two of you.

“She inspires me to be a better person, and I think even if we had to break up cause Dani said so, I would still want to be better for her and then if I am better maybe Dani and the team’ll see that and they’ll let us date again?” Jamie looks up, glancing around the room.

Ted slaps his hand on the table. “Well lookee there, I think you’ve solved your own problem! And with limited help from us! I declare the Diamond Digs meeting over!”

Jamie begins to smile, a bit of the weight on his shoulders lifted. His smile faded when every other person in the room begins to bark, and with an eye roll, he leaves.

When he gets out, the cool breeze biting at his face, he sees you, waiting by your car. You’re chatting with your brother, who’s telling some sort of training story. His hands are flailing everywhere, and you’re giggling.

He takes a deep breath, then walks over. When he reaches you, he snakes an arm around your waist. You look up at him, the question in your eyes.

When he nods, that inquiry on your face is replaced with his favorite look: that shine of joy in your eyes, and you turn back to your brother.

Jamie takes a breath to explain, but before he can, Dani hugs him. “¡Felicidades! ¡Bienvenido a la familia, cuñado!”

Jamie looks to you for the translation, and smiles slightly when he notices your face buried in your hands. “Something you want to tell me, love?” He asks.

“He called you his brother-in-law,” you say, your voice heavy with embarrassment and muffled by your hands. Jamie’s grin widens.

“Should we plan the wedding then?” He asks. You groan loudly. Dani suddenly turns serious, and Jamie gulps. Has he overstepped?

“Por favor, do not make me wear those horrible dress shoes,” he says, his hands clasped together in front of him.

This causes you to laugh, and Jamie’a grin reappears.

The reaction Dani had was certainly not the reaction he forsaw, but it was definitely better than the one he expected.

[onceuponaoneshotfanfic]

Paris (Superstar Chapter 5)

I'm so in love that I might stop breathing

Drew a map on your bedroom ceiling

No, I didn't see the news

'Cause we were somewhere else

Privacy sign on the door

And on my page and on the whole world

Romance is not dead if you keep it just yours

Roy and the Reader continue to see each other in secret while the AFC Richmond goes on a road trip.

Roy Kent x Reader

6.2k words

Warnings: Language, suggestive references, mentions of adults drinking adult drinks, Roy Kent showing lots of green flags, fluff because boy did I need it after the last couple chapters

~

“Don’t fucking go,” Roy grumbled, grabbing a fistful of the too-big Richmond shirt I wore and pulling me back towards him.

“Just getting some water,” I murmured, trying to wiggle out of his grasp.

Moonlight made his skin glow pale as he started to sit up, groaning quietly. “Lemme get it for you.”

I pushed his chest back down, my fingertips brushing against thick hair. “I’ll be right back,” I huffed with a giggle. I pressed a hard, sloppy kiss to his lips before climbing out of his bed, tugging at the hem of the shirt he’d given me to wear in place of proper pyjamas.

Despite my drowsiness, I practically skipped down the stairs, my heart full of something I wasn’t quite ready to name yet. After we’d had a good talk about everything that happened at the fundraiser and what we wanted out of our newly established relationship, Roy had pulled out a homemade chocolate dessert to share, and things had escalated in ways that made me blush to think about.

A mumbled love song lingered on my lips as I opened and closed cupboards to find a cup I could use, straining to see in the dark. The glowing green numbers on the stove read 3:56. Perfect. That was plenty of time before I had to head home and get ready for brunch with Keeley and Rebecca. I could go back to bed and cuddle and maybe even wake up Roy for another round-

“Good mornin’.”

“Fuck!” I shrieked, trying to pull down Roy’s shirt to cover my lower half as a bright light shone on me. I squinted at the figure across the kitchen. “Jamie?!”

Jamie Tartt stood there, dressed for a run and wearing a shining light on his head. “Er, is Roy home?” Even in the dark, I could see him trying to avert his eyes from my figure. “We’re supposed to go for a run. I let myself in, sometimes he forgets to lock his side door…”

My entire body burned with embarrassment. “I, um, I-” I tried desperately to think of a reason, some excuse, to explain why I was half naked in Roy Kent’s kitchen, but nothing came to me.

“Oi! Tartt!” Roy stormed down the stairs, still in the sweatpants he’d worn to bed. “The fuck d’you think you’re doing here?” he bellowed as he flipped on the kitchen light. “I fucking texted you to run on your own today.”

Jamie’s mouth formed a perfect O as Roy towered over him. “Shit, I lost my phone at the party on Friday. Think one of the papps nicked it. Keeley’s picking me up a new one today after brunch.” He shrugged. “Sorry, Coach.”

Roy’s face and whole chest were red with rage. “Well now you fucking know. So get the fuck out.” His eyes landed on me as I tried to strategically hide myself behind the kitchen island. He glared back at Jamie. “And don’t fucking tell anyone about this. Or I’ll slice your prick off, have it properly taxidermized, and give it to Keeley as a fucking Christmas gift.”

“We’re just trying to keep things private for a bit,” I clarified to Jamie, who still looked confused. “This… thing is still new, and we’d just like to not tell everyone at work yet.”

Jamie nodded, blinking a few times. “Nah, I geddit. Don’t need the other gaffers and the guys givin’ you shit.” He gave a small salute to Roy. “See you Monday, Coach.” Then he shot finger-guns at me. “And you have fun with Keeley later, yeah? I promise I won’t tell her about-” He pointed back and forth between Roy and me. “-this thing.”

Roy shadowed Jamie all the way from the kitchen to the front door, slamming it shut behind the player. When he came back into the kitchen, his face instantly softened. “Sorry ’bout that,” he grumbled, rubbing his tired eyes. “Fuckin’ Jamie Tartt, losing his fucking-”

I approached Roy and wrapped my arms around his middle, blushing at the feeling of his bare skin. “Don’t worry about it,” I assured him. “I highly doubt Jamie’ll tell anyone. That threat of yours was painfully vivid.”

Roy’s body relaxed against mine as he wrapped an arm lazily around my shoulders, pulling me close so he could plant a kiss on the top of my head. “I know a real good taxidermist, too,” he grunted.

“Lovely,” I snorted, lifting my head to look up at Roy’s face. We exchanged sleepy smiles. “Hi,” I hummed.

“Hi,” he whispered. He bent his head towards me, touching his lips to mine so softly I could barely feel them. “Wanna go back to bed? Get a bit more sleep before you gotta head home?”

My cheeks warmed as I gazed back up at him, my heart purring. “I wanna go to back to bed,” I began slowly. “But… I don’t want to sleep.”

Roy’s eyebrows flew up. “In that case-” He lifted me and threw me over his shoulder, giving me a light smack on my butt as he carried me back upstairs, my squeals of laughter echoing throughout the house.

~

It took all my strength to pry Roy’s muscular arms off me later that morning. He proposed that I cancel on Keeley and made several other suggestions about how I could spend my time, all of which had me red in the face and rolling my eyes as I gathered my clothes off his bedroom floor.

Roy Kent is absolutely smitten with me, I hummed to myself as I drove to brunch, my mobile vibrating to let me know that Roy Kent⚽ was texting me for the dozenth time since I’d left his house that morning, asking me to change my mind and come back. After finding a parking, I silenced my text notifications, not wanting to give either of my friends an opening to ask why in the world my officemate was texting me so obsessively on my day off.

Heading into brunch. Call you after I typed as I walked towards the restaurant, not bothering to hide the wide grin on my face.

“Ooh, is someone sending you a dirty picture?” I jumped as Keeley hooked her arm through mine. “Is it Roy?”

I quickly stuffed my phone into my purse, hoping she hadn’t seen the number of heart-emojis on the screen. “Ha. Hello to you too, Keeley.”

Keeley kissed my cheek as we entered the restaurant. “Come on, I need all the details,” she demanded. “Please, I’m dying!”

We quickly found Rebecca and settled in with drinks and food. The conversation almost immediately turned to Rebecca’s party, which she declared a success.

“Oh, but what about…” Keeley nodded to me. “You know…”

Rebecca raised her eyebrows as she swallowed the champagne she’d been drinking. “What? Did I miss something?”

Before I could explain in a way that didn’t worry my boss, Keeley leaned forward. “Okay, Roy thought that Richard had done something, you know, unseemly to this one.” She waggled her eyebrows and nodded towards me. “So, Roy tried to actually murder Richard, and Jamie and I took them to a side room so they wouldn’t cause a scene- yes, I know, I’m a great PR person, you’re very welcome- and these two-” Another nod towards me. “-had some weird, very sexy energy between them. Then they were alone in that room for a while and when they came out Roy actually danced. Twice.” Keeley smirked at me. “Let me repeat, Roy Kent danced.”

Rebecca’s eyebrows flew higher and higher with each word out of Keeley’s mouth. She gawked at me. “Holy shit, are you and Roy shagging?” she gasped.

“I mean this with all due respect because you’re my boss, but sod off, Rebecca,” I grumbled. “Keeley’s exaggerating. There was a misunderstanding with Richard, Roy was a tad drunk and got carried away trying to be protective, we calmed him down, and he was a perfect gentleman to me, his friend.” Girlfriend, girlfriend, girlfriend.

“Don’t listen to her Rebecca,” Keeley teased. “She’s completely in love with Roy and he’s just as smitten. In fact, Jamie was telling me-”

Fuck, fuck, fuck. “What did Jamie say?” I tried to keep my voice even and my face uninterested; deep down, I knew I was failing. There is no way Jamie would tell her. No fucking way.

Keeley smiled; she knew she was winning this game. “Just that you and Roy are always holed up in your office together. He brings you lunch all the time. Sometimes gives you a ride home from work. And Jamie swears that Roy’s been less brutal during their training since the day you started at Richmond.”

Rebecca nodded. “I can’t help but notice that you two are practically attached at the hip at work,” she added sheepishly.

“Well, yeah, Roy says I give him a break from having to talk to Ted and Beard all day.” They didn’t need to know that he’d mumbled that while half-asleep in bed that morning.

Keeley was now completely smug. “The man’s in love with you,” she declared with finality.

I rolled my eyes. “It’s called friendship, Jones. Try it sometime.”

“It’s called romance, babe. And you and Roy Kent should try it sometime.”

~

“How about Much Ado About Nothing? With Emma Thompson?”

“Fuck no!” bellowed Roy from the couch as I walked back into his living room, carrying a beer for each of us.

I rolled my eyes. “Come on Roy, a little Shakespeare won’t kill you.”

He sat up, baring his teeth at me. “I fucking hate Kenneth Branagh,” he growled, accepting the beer I handed him. “With his fucking around on Emma Thompson. What a prick. The woman’s a treasure.”

“Oh.” I stared at him for a moment, ever amazed at the things that flew out of his mouth. “So, do you hate Helena Bonham Carter as well then?”

Roy shook his head, making room for me on the couch. “Nah. Emma Thompson and her made up. No bad blood there.” He took a sip of his beer. “But fuck Branagh.”

“But Emma’s in Much Ado,” I pointed out as I plopped down. “And Keanu Reeves. You can’t let Branagh ruin it.” Roy rolled his eyes. “How about this,” I offered. “Emma Thompson double feature. Much Ado About Nothing, followed by Sense and Sensibility. That way you get to see her win an Oscar and meet the love of her life Greg Wise.”

“Hmmf.” Roy narrowed his eyes at me, debating my proposal. Finally, he settled into the couch, wrapping an arm lazily around my waist to pull me back with him. “Alright. I could go for some Jane Austen. On with the fucking Branagh movie then.”

Satisfied, I grabbed the remote to Roy’s massive television and found the movie. As soon as Emma Thompson appeared in the opening scene, I laid down my beer picked up my work laptop from the coffee table and opened it. Roy groaned louder than usual beside me.

“Fuck, are you really doing work right now?”

“Sorry, someone’s got to double check the reservations for the Paris game.” AFC Richmond would be playing in an exhibition against a French club team, and Rebecca had tasked me with making sure the lodging was all arranged. I suspected it was mostly because I had casually mentioned taking one French class in school, but it was nice to have responsibilities besides editing the grammar on Coach Lasso’s tweets and returning Coach Beard’s library books.

There was a small pressure on my shoulder. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Roy leaning on me, his eyes skimming the room arrangements spreadsheet on my screen. “Oi, I think there’s been a mistake,” he hummed. “You’re in room 218, and I’m in room 222. Shouldn’t I be in 218 too? Would help save a few pounds.” He raised an eyebrow at me, not bothering to hide the grin on his face.

Unable to resist, I planted a kiss on his scruff. “Or, I could let the club pay for the rooms, and if you want to see me, you can put in the effort of sneaking down the hall like a gentleman.” I raised an eyebrow at him. “Unless you want to announce to the whole club that we’re dating, and Ted can spend the whole trip calling us his OTP and making comments about being in the City of Love.”

Roy was clearly weighing his options as he stared at me. Finally, with a sigh of defeat, he put his beer on an end table leaned back onto the cushions. “Fine. Just make sure you slip me a key to your room. I’m not going to be standing in a hotel hallway knocking like some fuckin’ creep.”

I rolled my eyes. “Sure.” I made myself a note to ask for two keys for every room; less suspicious than just asking for myself. “Any other requests?” I asked dryly.

“Hmm.” Roy feigned thinking. “Throwing Jamie Tartt off the top of the Eiffel Tower might be a fun team-building activity. Montlaur too while we’re at it.”

“Thought you were over that,” I hummed, checking my confirmation email from the hotel and using Google Translate to make sure I didn’t misunderstand anything.

Roy shrugged, his hand lightly grazing my hip. “Still don’t like the way that prick looks at you.”

I snorted as I sent Rebecca the confirmation email and room assignments for her approval. “And what way would that be?”

“The way I look at you.”

Email sent, I closed my laptop and returned it to the coffee table. “Roy,” I said slowly, straddling his lap and taking his face in my hands. “No one has ever looked at me the way you do.” I kissed his neck tenderly. “Besides, why would you want to waste your time in Paris on Jamie and Montlaur? Wouldn’t you rather be with me?”

“So, you’re saying we can skip going to fucking Paris and just spend the weekend here?” His nose nudged my cheek. “I’ll even let you put on more Kenneth Branagh movies.”

“Oh, hell no,” I scoffed, sliding off his lap and leaning back to watch the movie that had gone ignored during our conversation. “You are not talking me out of a free trip to Paris.”

~

“Alright, so I’ve got some Albert Camus for Beard, sudoku for Ted, and a sleep mask for Roy.” The coaches held their hands out for their requested road trip items. I held tight to the hardcover copy of The Stranger that Beard reached for. “No writing in the margins,” I ordered. “Library says you can’t do that anymore.”

He rolled his eyes and took the book. “Fine.”

Ted smiled as I handed him the book of sudoku puzzles I’d picked up on my way to work. “Thank you so much,” he gushed. “This is real sweet of you to get these little presents for us. We might have to start callin’ you Willy Wonka.”

I shrugged. “Honestly, no problem, Coach. We’ve got a long trip ahead, might as well enjoy it.” I just don’t want to play “I spy” all the way to Paris. I turned to Roy. “And sleep mask, as requested.”

His eyes narrowed as he took the sleep mask out of my hands. “It’s pink,” he grumbled.

“Goes well with your eyes,” I answered cooly.

Roy glanced around, making sure the other coaches were out of earshot. “Is this from your fucking nightstand?” he hissed, biting back a laugh.

I shrugged, now completely grinning. “Yeah, I was hoping you’d recognize it.” I playfully batted my eyelashes at Roy. “You’re gonna wear it on the bus, right?”

The man was seriously fighting a smile. “Maybe,” he growled quietly.

Before I could make another flirty comment, Ted came back, rubbing his hands together happily. “Alright ya’ll, should we get these puppies onboard this puppy?”

Roy sighed and turned around, glaring at the players who were milling around the parking lot while Will finished loading their luxury-brand luggage onto the team bus. “Whistle!” he shouted, getting their attention. “Oi! Get your asses onboard now, or else you can fucking walk to France!”

When the Paris exhibition game was first announced, Rebecca had planned on everyone just flying; it was the team, particularly Sam and Jamie, who insisted that a six-hour drive would be fun. Part of me was not looking forward to six hours on the road, but knowing I’d spend those six hours next to Roy made it bearable.

I nudged Roy as we watched the team load onto the bus. “Sit with me?” I whispered.

“Like you even have to fucking ask,” he muttered out of the corner of his mouth, gesturing for me to climb aboard.

An hour later, we were on the road, and the boys had finally gotten sick of singing “Richmond Til We Die”, much to Roy’s relief. Now they were all having their own conversations, or listening to music, or watching movies on their phones. The quiet time meant that the coaches and I could finally chat at the table at the back of the bus. As usual, Roy sat next to me and spread himself out a little bit, his thigh pressed against mine and our arms brushing; he often did this “manspreading” at meetings as a way to have physical contact without drawing suspicion.

“Alright, so lay that schedule on us,” Ted was saying as he tossed a handful of the trail mix I’d packed for him into his mouth. “What’s on the itinerary, Ben and Jerry?”

Unable to resist cracking a grin at his little rhyme, I opened the document on my tablet. “So, once we arrive, we’ll have a team meeting to go over strategy with the boys, followed by team dinner at a local restaurant, Rebecca and Higgins’ll join us for that, and then movie night.” A shiver went down my spine as I fent Roy’s knuckle graze my arm. “It’s all arranged with the hotel. Then tomorrow, team breakfast at the hotel and head to the stadium for the game. And after the game everyone’s on their own until we meet at ten the next morning to come back to Richmond.”

Ted smiled. “And the movie is set to go?” Despite the publicity surrounding the exhibition game, the man absolutely knew what his priorities were.

We quickly finished confirming the team’s plans for the trip, with Ted making a few jokes about eating fries and frog legs and toast. The entire time, Roy strategically pressed himself close to me, making me want to finish our meeting so he and I could retreat to our usual seats together, where we could stealthily hold hands between our seats. Instead of dismissing us, though, Ted announced that he had one more topic to chat about; Roy groaned loudly, but a sharp look from me shut him up.

Beard cleared his throat. “So, we’re currently looking very seriously at this Spanish player, Dario Vargas. Skilled striker. Would be a great asset to us.”

“And he’s actually going to be in Paris at the same time as us,” Ted explained. He turned to me. “D’you think you could find a good place for me and Rebecca to have dinner with him tomorrow after the game? We’re hopin’ to wine and dine ’im and reel in the big fish before we head home.”

“Sure, Ted,” I assured him, starting a search on my tablet. “Dario Vargas….” I cocked my head at the men. “Why do I know that name?”

Coach Beard sat up a little. “Well, he’s been a pretty big name on a couple of Italian and French teams in the last few years. So maybe you’ve seen his name on a sports network or something?”

No, that wasn’t it. This guy’s name was so familiar, but I didn’t associate it with football. For some reason, his name made knots begin to appear in my stomach, and I didn’t like it.

“Hmm, maybe,” I agreed, wanting to end the meeting already. “Anything else?” Roy growled beside me.

Ted shook his head, all smiles. “Nope. We’re all set, Mookie Betts.” He nodded to Roy. “You can go take a nap now.”

“Fuckin’ finally,” he grumbled, jumping up. Internally, I rolled my eyes at his dramatics.

About fifteen minutes later, I had Ted’s reservation settled and could put my work away. With a sigh, I collapsed in my seat next to Roy, who was indeed wearing my sleep mask. I pulled out my phone, quickly typing a text complaining to Keeley about her decision to stay home from the trip.

A hand brushed against my thigh. When I glanced up, Roy had lifted my sleep mask slightly and was staring at me from under it. “Oi, what fucking movie are you making us watch tonight?”

“Bridget Jones’s Diary,” I answered as my mobile vibrated, letting me know Keeley had sent me a reply. “It’s one of my favorites.”

The sleep mask was now entirely lifted and resting on top of Roy’s head. “Because you fancy that wanker Hugh Grant?”

A snort flew out of my mouth. “Colin Firth, actually.” I glanced at the words on my screen; Keeley was suggesting that I ask Roy about his baguette. In return, I sent her several middle finger emojis.

“You like that whole Mr. Darcy shit?”

I rolled my eyes; Roy was talking as if he hadn’t just been completely invested as he watched the five-hour miniseries of Pride and Prejudice with me a couple days ago. “Yes, I like that whole Mr. Darcy shit. Have you seen Pemberly?”

“No wonder you like my house,” he muttered, grinning. His eyes flickered to my phone. “Why’s Keeley sending you so many eggplant emojis?”

~

“No, I like you very much. Just as you are,” Colin Firth said to Renee Zellweger onscreen.

In the back row of the hotel conference room turned private theater, I let out a breathy sigh. Roy eyed me carefully, the lights from the screen playing on his face.

“You like this?” he whispered, barely audible.

I nodded. “I like anything Colin Firth says,” I answered.

He narrowed his eyes at me. “And the grand gesture shit?”

“Obsessed,” I replied, grinning.

“Good to know,” he muttered, slumping in his seat a bit, his knee knocking into mine. He leaned over once more. “What’re you doing after this?”

I craned my neck to make sure everyone was preoccupied by whatever antics Bridget Jones was getting herself into. “Going to bed, probably. Yourself?”

A smirk graced the face I always found myself thinking about. “Probably going to your bed.”

Sure enough, I woke up the next morning curled up in Roy’s arms. It had quickly become my favorite way to start my day: turning around and seeing that bearded face still half asleep, tracing shapes on his arm as he squeezed me a bit tighter to himself, and murmuring sweet nothings back and forth before starting our day.

The light coming through the space in the curtains told me that we didn’t have much time before Roy had to sneak back to his own room before the team started milling around the halls and heading to breakfast. And my mobile ringing on the nightstand told me that I wouldn’t even get to enjoy the time we did have.

“Hello?” I grumbled into the phone, giving a small stretch as Roy stirred beside me.

“Good morning, darling!”

The sound of my mother’s voice had me scrambling to sit up and cover myself with the blankets, as if she could see the way I had turned Roy’s black shirt into pyjamas. “Morning Mum,” I blurted out. “What’s up?”

“I’m sorry it’s so early, I just wanted to catch you before you get busy. How’s Paris?” Her voice was nonchalant, oblivious to the scene on my end of the call.

I cleared my throat as Roy began to wake up, squinting up at me with a scowl on his face. “It’s great, Mum,” I answered, raising my eyebrows at Roy, who nodded in understanding. “Text me what you want me to bring you as a little souvenir, yeah?”

“Sure, love.” In the background, I could hear dishes clanging; she was probably getting breakfast ready.

“So, everything’s good? The team’s treating you well?”

My hand rested on Roy’s arm as I completely sat up and leaned against the headboard. “Yeah, they’re great. They’re basically big kids, really.”

“And the gaffers?”

Roy turned over to wrap his arm around my waist, gazing up at me with a sleepy grin. “Very nice,” I assured her.

“And how’s Roy?”

I nearly choked. “Roy?” I repeated, shoving his arm off me.

She chuckled into the phone. “Yes, Roy. You know, tall, brooding, handsome, football star. Photos of him all over your walls since his Chelsea days. Disappeared upstairs with you at Dad’s birthday dinner. That Roy.”

Roy tapped my shoulder, tiredness all over his face. “Can you ask your mum when I can come over for dinner again? That was some of the best fucking pasta I’ve ever had.”

There was a long silence on the other end of the line while I swallowed hard. There was no way my mother didn’t hear Roy. And she was definitely capable of recognizing that it was way too early for me to have company. Finally, whisper came from her end: “Is that Roy?”

The options weighed in my head. Flat-out lying and telling my mum that she was crazy, that she’d just heard the television, no way was Roy Kent in my hotel room, was probably not an option. She’d had dinner with the guy; she knew his voice. There was always telling her that the team was getting together for an early-morning breakfast, but the room was too silent to believe twenty-something football players were horsing around a hotel dining room.

That only left me with one choice: the truth.

“Yeah, Mum, that’s Roy,” I admitted, biting my lip.

To my surprise, she laughed. “Well, I’ll be! I was wondering what happened after Dad’s dinner. You hadn’t mentioned any other fellas in a while.” She paused thoughtfully. “Does he treat you well?”

Her voice was softer than I’d ever heard. “I’m so glad, darling. When you’re back from Paris, we’ll have the two of you over for dinner. No birthdays this time.”

My gaze fell to Roy, who was watching me curiously, eyebrows raised. His eyes were full of the adoration I had quickly gotten used to as his fingers traced circles on my hip. “Really well,” I promised my mum, smiling down at Roy. “The best, actually.”

Relief and joy filled my chest. “That would be great, Mum. Roy’d love that. He still asks about that pasta you made for Dad’s birthday.” Roy smiled at the mention of the food he’d been bothering me about since the dinner in question. “Listen, I gotta go, we’ve got some team things to do before the game. But I’ll send you and Dad pictures, and I’ll call you when I’m back in town, alright?”

We said our goodbyes and hung up. When I placed my phone back on the nightstand, Roy was sitting up, watching me carefully.

“You told your mum about us,” he observed quietly. The look in his eyes was unreadable.

I pulled my knees to my chest, nodding. “Hope that’s okay,” I murmured. “I… I hadn’t planned on telling my folks yet. But I know they won’t tell anyone til we tell them we’re ready.”

To my surprise, Roy leaned over and planted a kiss on my cheek. “Of course it’s okay. Just promise me one thing.”

I leaned my head against his, nodding earnestly. “Anything.”

“Get me that damn pasta recipe.”

~

The game went magnificently. The French club had a stellar reputation, but the Greyhounds were up to the challenge. Two remarkable assists from Jamie, incredible goals each from Sam and Colin, and an unbelievable penalty kick from Dani led to a Richmond victory.

Back at the hotel lobby, the boys made plans to go out on the town to celebrate, with Richard taking the reigns thanks to his own experiences in the city. Ted and Rebecca bowed out to go to the dinner reservations I’d made for them and the player they were trying to court, and Beard had already left to meet his girlfriend who had made the last-minute decision to fly in that afternoon to spend the evening together.

That just left me and Roy.

“You didn’t want to go out with them, did you?” he asked quietly as we watched the guys debate where to start their night.

I shrugged. “They invited me,” I admitted. “But someone had given me instructions to pack that red dress I’d worn to the charity ball, so I was hoping I had plans tonight already.”

Sneaking another glance at the team, who slowly made their way back up to their rooms to change into their clubbing outfits, Roy slipped me a piece of paper, scrawled on in his sloppy handwriting. “Go outside at eight. There’ll be a car waiting for you. Give the driver this address.” He paused, his eyes flickering to my mouth for a brief moment. “Wear the red dress,” he added.

“Aye, aye Coach,” I agreed, shooting him a puzzled grin. With a short growl, Roy turned and walked out of the lobby, leaving me with the paper in my hands and several questions in my head.

At eight on the dot, I made my way down from my room to the lobby. With the red dress and heels on, as well as the inordinate amount of time I’d spent on my hair and makeup, and a night in Paris ahead of me, I felt a bit like a movie star. A few of the guys were lingering in the lobby, waiting for the group to assemble. They waved when they saw me and called out compliments; I even heard a joking wolf-whistle from Colin.

“Thanks guys!” I called out as I approached them. “You guys going to get into some trouble?”

“You comin’ out with us?” Isaac asked, gesturing to the group. “Richard’s got a great night planned for us. We’ll all take turns dancing with you and you won’t have to buy a single drink, it’s all on us.”

Dani winked. “Unless you ditch us for a French guy and we don’t see you until mañana.”

“I don’t think Roy would like that very much,” Richard chirped, cackling to himself.

The guys all turned and glared at him, hissing at him to shut up and reminding him that we all agreed not to tease her and giving him a warning that Roy’s going to kill you.

I cleared my throat, hoping they’d assume the blush on my cheeks was just makeup. “Um, I’m sorry, what’s happening?”

The guys all looked at each other helplessly before Colin finally spoke up. “We just all noticed there’s a bit of… tension between you and Roy? The good kind,” he added quickly. “We all totally ship it.” There was a murmur of agreement among the team.

Jamie cleared his throat. “Come on guys, leave ’er alone. They’re friends. Roy’d murder all of ya if he heard the way you’re talking.” He smiled at me. “You, go. Have a good night, whatever you end up doin’.” The wink Jamie shot me had me wondering if he knew what awaited me once I walked out of the hotel.

After wishing each other good evenings, I left the team and headed outside. Indeed, there was a black car waiting for me with a driver, uniform and hat and all. He nodded at me as I approached.

“Mr. Kent’s friend?” he asked, smiling.

“Um, yes,” I confirmed, pulling the piece of paper out of my clutch. “He said to give you this.”

The driver took the paper and opened the door for me. “If you’re ready.”

I gazed out the window as we drove, glancing down at my mobile every few minutes. I had sent Roy a text when I got in the car to let him know I was on my way, and all I got was a thumbs-up emoji. While part of me was enjoying the mystery of it all, I couldn't help but feel nervous. Where was he taking me? Some small café on the outskirts of the city where no one would notice us? Another hotel, where we could actually share a room? Wherever it was, it would probably be somewhere dark and quiet where we could hide in a corner.

Instead, we slowly pulled into a parking structure. Fuck, maybe Will was right when he told me he thinks Roy might be a serial killer.

The driver parked and turned to me. “We’re here,” he announced, although I couldn’t figure out where “here” was.

“Er, thanks,” I mumbled as I opened the car door. “Will you wait here or…?”

“’m not going to kill you,” a familiar growl called out.

There was Roy, hands in his pockets, standing under the light of the parking structure. He wore the same black suit he’d worn at the gala; if he was a serial killer, he was the most attractive one in history. He smiled and waved me over.

Click, click, click went my heels on the sidewalk as I approached him. He reached out and took my hand before planting a firm kiss on my lips.

“Roy, where are we-”

“Just watch,” he chuckled as he led the way. The street was shockingly empty, considering this was Paris of all places.

Before I could ask Roy any more questions, we turned a corner and my heart jumped into my throat. “Roy, is that-”

“Yeah, that’s the fucking Louvre.”

I stopped dead in my tracks. “What’re we doing at the Louvre?” I asked incredulously.

Roy rolled his eyes and tugged me onwards towards the lit-up pyramid. “Stealing the Mona Lisa.”

“Roy.”

A smile graced his face. “Having dinner. Happy?”

I shook my head, my mind spinning. “How… I mean what… Holy shit…”

“Sometimes being a retired footballer comes in handy,” he joked. “I called a guy, wrote a check, and they closed the most famous museum in the world for us.” He shrugged. “No big deal.” The sparkle in his eye told me that no, he wanted me to think that this was a big deal.

Which it absolutely fucking was.

We made our way into the museum, with the security guard tipping his hat to us and greeting “Mr. Kent”. Our steps echoed on the marble floor as we walked from room to room, Roy never letting to of my hand. He pointed out a few paintings as we walked, softly sharing the names of artists he particularly liked.

Roy Kent likes art, I thought to myself. Every new thing I learned about the man made my heart fall a little bit further in… No, don’t say that yet, I scolded myself, trying to focus on the name Roy was whispering to me now.

We finally arrived in the room that held the most recognizable painting in history: the Mona Lisa. But my eyes were drawn away from her and to the table that had been set up and the waiter who stood beside it. I looked at Roy.

“We’re having dinner with the Mona Lisa?” I hissed.

He shrugged and led me to the table, pulling my chair out for me. “Hope that’s okay.”

It was more than okay. It was the most romantic thing I’d ever heard of, probably the most grand gesture I’d ever seen.

“When’d you set this up?” I asked as the waiter poured two glasses of champagne.

Roy cleared his throat and bobbed his head a bit, a nervous habit I now knew well. “Late last night,” he mumbled.

I narrowed my eyes at him, a smirk on my lips. “Before or after Bridget Jones?”

“After,” he growled, pink tinting his cheeks. “Satisfied?”

My smile grew. “So, after we watched Bridget Jones and you asked me what I thought of grand gestures, you went and planned the grandest gesture of all time?”

A laugh escaped his lips. “I take it this is more impressive than Pemberly?”

“Much more impressive,” I confirmed, taking a sip of champagne. “Thank you, Roy.”

He leaned forward and laid a hand on top of mine. “Well, I figured we should celebrate.”

Now it was my turn to blush. “What’re we celebrating? Not today’s win, I assume.”

“Fuck no.” He took a deep breath and gave my hand a squeeze. “I just figured that the longest relationship I’ve ever been in is worth celebrating.”

Numbers flew in my head as I quickly did the math. “But Roy, we’ve only been-”

He shook his head. “It has been four months and six days since your dad’s birthday. I know it’s not the official day we got together or anything, but I figured it's…” He shrugged, trailing off. His eyes were begging me not to laugh at him or tell him he was wrong.

As if I could.

“Something worth celebrating,” I repeated, lifting my champagne.

Roy smiled and lifted his own glass, tapping it to mine with a clink. “To really fucking liking each other.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “To really fucking liking each other.”

[the-dork-urge]

Masterlist

Hey ya'll. This is my masterlist!

I take requests!

Fandoms:

Baldurs Gate 3 - Peaky Blinders - Detroit Become Human- Yellowstone- Breaking bad universe - Evil Dead - Supernatural - The Boys - Ted Lasso I write for mostly femreader because thats what I am familiar with, learning to write more gn. I live for side characters.

I do not take responsibility for any additional trigger warnings. I assume that those familair with the fandoms are familiar with its themes and thus aware of the potential themes in fan-generated content.

Abdirak || Sweet Restraint || Abdirak x Tav (NSFW**)

Gortash || Behind velvet curtains || Gortash x Durge (NSFW**) ||Wicked Urges|| Durge x Gortash? (NSFW*)

Rolan || Anew || Rolan x Reader || Worth Loving || Rolan x Reader Raphael ||Beneath|| Raphael x Reader

Zevlor ||Stable Work|| Zevlor x reader (fluff)

|| A Good Man || Zevlor x Tav Part 1 (fluff)

||A Good man || Zevlor x Tav Part 2 (fluff and NSFW*)

||Stone and Earth|| Zevlor x Tav (fluff)

|| Joy || Zevlor x Tav / Reader (fluff)

Companions (grouped fics & hc's)

How they series: How they'd dance with you with Halsin-Aradin-Rugan & Zevlor

How they'd dance with you Rolan - Dammon - Astarion

William Butcher || Bottle of Whiskey || Butcher x Reader || Mr. Though Guy || Butcher x Reader

||Run of the Mill || The Deep x Reader

Ash Williams || The Mess of It All || Ash Williams x Reader

Ted, Roy, Jamie, Rebecca, Keely & Sam || First Kisses || Ted Lasso characters HC: Being in a relationship with: || Secret Relationship || Jamie Tartt

|| First Kiss || Gavin Reed

WIP'S || Everybody Loves Me || Gavin Reed

|| Red Ice, No rocks || Hank Anderson

|| Sweetheart || Hank Anderson - NSFW || My Ugly || Hank Anderson

[sokkigarden]

Hear me out! I Can See You is Jamie x Reader from reader’s POV and Electric Touch is Jamie x Reader from Jamie’s POV !!!! Speak Now TV has me all up in the Swiftieverse of Mr. Jamie Tartt

no bc tell me why i was thinking about jamie during have of my eras tour concert😭😭

i can see you joins the ranks of i know places, ours, delicate, come back be here…. a secret or fleeting relationship among famous ppl…. yes

i will be honest i haven’t listened to electric touch that much but i get ur vibes !!!! i can and will relate any TS song to jamie LOL

[gonzo-rella]

Fluff Alphabet: Jamie Tartt

Inspired by this post by @snk-warriors​

MASTERLIST | AO3 | KO-FI

Relationship(s): Jamie Tartt x gn!reader (romantic)

Warnings: None! (Let me know if I need to add any)

(A/N: I figured I’d finally try out the alphabet format. Let me know if you’d be interested in me doing this for another character, and feel free to send me other alphabet layouts to try out! Plus, just feel free to send in Jamie requests. Also, apologies if some of this makes my love for Keeley beyond obvious.)

A ctivities - What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?

At first, Jamie loves to take you out to dinner, shopping, or wherever he can spend money on you. 

Over time, though, I feel like he’ll become more content with just having a night in with you, doing some mundane thing like watching a film.

B eauty - What do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them?

I feel like Jamie’s grown to become far less shallow, so his appreciation for you is well-rounded. As cheesy as it sounds, he really appreciates who you are as a person. It’s not something he’s used to in relationships (even though Keeley had plenty to appreciate outside of her appearance).

That said, I do imagine there are physical characteristics of yours that he could spend a lifetime gazing at. If he had to choose anything specific, it’d probably be your smile and your eyes. He’s not used to people being genuinely warm to him, so it makes his heart melt when you look at him and smile at him.

C omfort - How would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.?

Jamie will give you his full attention when you’re not feeling great. It’ll break his heart to see you looking almost broken, but he’ll engulf you in a hug and tell you everything’s going to be alright.

D reams - How do they picture their future with their s/o?

Jamie’s previous relationships have been relatively shallow; you’re probably the first person he’s considered an actual future with. He wants to spend the rest of his life with you.

At the very least, he wants you to live with him. He loves the idea of waking up next to you every morning and falling asleep beside you every night.

E qual - Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?

You and Jamie are on equal footing in your relationship. It’s quite unexpected, since he’s a well-off footballer and you’re... well, not.

F ight - Would they be easy to forgive their s/o? How are they fighting?

Oh, God, Jamie hates fighting with you, especially with the history of his dad. If you end up yelling at him or express anger/frustration, he’ll immediately go into panic mode because I feel like he might associate fighting with anyone with his dad being a dick to him. He’ll worry that you don’t love him anymore and he’ll just generally feel like shit. He might need a bit of space for a given period of time, but he’ll forgive you if forgiveness is warranted.

G ratitude - How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?

He doesn’t really express it a whole lot (at least at the start of your relationship), but he is so grateful to have you as his s/o, since he’s not exactly used to being appreciated as a person (not to bring up his dad again, but-).

If his breakup with Keeley taught him anything, it’s that he should be grateful for what he has when he has it. He’s definitely learned his lesson.

H onesty - Do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?

At first, I imagine that he’s conscious about unloading too much of his emotional baggage onto you, so he’ll end up concealing his insecurities until you kind of pick up on them yourself. It’s not even like he views any of this as secrecy; he just thinks he’s shielding you from... well, himself. He’ll definitely become more and more comfortable opening up as your relationship develops, though.

When it comes to things that aren’t his emotional problems, though, he doesn’t have anything he really hides from you.

I nspiration - Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems?

Being with you is part of what inspires Jamie on his road to self-improvement (of course along with multiple other things). You make him want to be a better person.

Since his relationship with his dad (wow, we’re sure mentioning his dad a lot) is less than ideal, I imagine that you’ll probably help him work through some of the issues he has been left with as a result of that. It’s nothing you can fix completely, but you definitely help him get through tough times.

J ealousy - Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?

I feel like jealousy is something Jamie has to work on. He’s not crazy possessive nor does he get jealous easily, and it’s not like his jealousy is something you’d notice unless you were the most perceptive person on the planet.

When he experiences jealousy, it’s more linked to his insecurities. He’d probably just try to ignore it, or, failing that, seek your approval in some way. It might not be the healthiest way of dealing with it, and if you end up figuring out how he’s feeling he might open up.

K iss - Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?

Jamie absolutely prides himself on being a good kisser.

I feel like your first kiss with him would be surprisingly sweet. Like, you guys are both nervous (Jamie’s obviously trying to play it cool, and you tell him he doesn’t have to). He asks if he can kiss you, and you obviously agree. With that, he gently grabs your face and presses his lips to yours.

L ove Confession - How would they confess to their s/o?

He’s surprisingly awkward and nervous. Here’s how I imagined his confession in part one of my critically-acclaimed duology Inadequate.

“I really like you. It’s not because I think you’re fit. I mean, you’re still pretty fit, but, like, I dunno, I like who you are too, probably more than how you look. That doesn’t always happen for me.”

M arriage - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?

I feel like marriage isn’t something overly important to Jamie. He knows that he wants you in his life forever, but he doesn’t have strong feelings about marriage.

N icknames - What do they call their s/o?

The most common name he uses is probably ‘babe’. If you’d prefer, though, he’d probably call you some variation of your name (e.g. a shortened version of your name).

O n Cloud Nine - What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?

When he’s head-over-heels in love with you, he’s (to quote Roy) a bit less of an insufferable little prick.

He tries not to be all lovey dovey and he tries his best to play it cool, but sometimes he just can’t hide how happy you make him. He smiles to himself and his teammates often notices that he looks like he’s waiting for someone when you’re not around.

P DA - Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag with their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?

Jamie will definitely check in on what you’re comfortable with before doing anything, or, at the very least, he’ll listen to you if you express any discomfort.

If he had it his way, though, he’d constantly have his arm around you or have your hand in his, and he’d give you so many kisses. Mostly because he loves you, but part of him really likes to show off that you’re his s/o.

Q uirk - Some random ability they have that's beneficial in a relationship.

Maybe this isn’t all that random, but he’s got a smart mouth. He’s very good at saying things that’ll totally fluster you, much to his delight.

R omance - How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?

Jamie tries his best to do what he thinks is romantic. He’ll take you out to the nicest restaurant (he’s paying, of course) and he’ll buy you gift after gift.

But I feel like, gradually, how he shows his love will become more personal, since he’ll learn more and more about what you like, and he’ll realise that you see romance in the personal rather than the material.

S upport - Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?

Since you’re (probably) incredibly supportive of him and his career, he’ll definitely reciprocate this support.

T hrill - Do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine?

He definitely leans more towards trying new things, though he does like having a balance between normalcy and stability and trying out new things.

U nderstanding - How good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?

I feel like you’d probably underestimate how well Jamie knows you. When he gives a shit about someone, he picks up little things that might seem trivial to most others. He’ll definitely surprise you when he casually recalls something about you that you wouldn’t expect him to remember.

Jamie can be very empathetic. He’s been through some shit in his life despite the front he tries to put on, so odds are he understands how you feel. At the very least, he’ll try his best to understand.

V alue - How important is the relationship to them? What is it’s worth in comparison to other things in their life?

As I mentioned before, Keeley breaking up with him was a wakeup call he needed to start valuing his future S/Os.

So, he really does value you and your relationship. Of course, he’s come to value his friendships with the team, but he values your relationship just as much.

W ild Card - A random Fluff Headcanon.

Jamie will definitely try to protect you from the press as best he can, and he’s sure to sort it out if any problems do arise.

X OXO - Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?

As you can probably guess, Jamie is incredibly affectionate. He’ll often greet you with a peck on the cheek or lips, and he’ll often find himself wrapped around you before and after you two go to sleep.

He's become desensitised to the bollockings from Roy about him being late because of these morning cuddles.

Y earning - How will they cope when they're missing their partner?

It’s apparent when you’re on Jamie’s mind. He’ll become distracted, and it’s difficult for him to get his head in the game.

The best he can do is think about how he’ll get to see you soon, and he’ll just occupy himself until then.

Z eal - Are they willing to go to great lengths for the relationship? If so, what kind of?

Jamie will definitely go to great lengths for your relationship, and he’ll do whatever it takes- within reason- to maintain it.

[illiterateaffairs]

DISTRACTIONS XI | SOMEONE TO STAY

pairing: jamie tartt x f!reader (ted lasso)

rating: T

word count: 6,369

summary: ted has some news to share with the team that unexpectedly leads to other secrets coming out. 

A/N: here it is - the penultimate chapter of distractions! i’ve had the events of this chapter planned out for what feels like forever, and i finally get to share it with you all. thank you for reading and i can’t wait to see what you think💙💛

distractions masterlist | previous chapter

It should come as no surprise that you and Jamie end your night after the Man City win doing some…not-so-innocent activities to celebrate. You’re hesitant at first, not wanting to agitate Jamie’s ankle, but your attentiveness only turns him on more. You’re not entirely sure what time you actually fall asleep, but in the early morning light, you’re awoken by Jamie leaving a trail of kisses on your face and down to your neck, and before you know it, you’re going another two rounds. 

You bask in the afterglow side by side as you catch your breath. When you look at Jamie, there’s a dopey smile on his face.

“You happy or something?” you ask teasingly and his smile only widens.

“Just a little,” he murmurs, leaning over to give you another kiss.

You lay on your sides facing each other for a few quiet moments, as you trace the tattoos on his arm. 

“Have I mentioned how much I like your tattoos?” you whisper. 

“Mm-mm,” Jamie shakes his head.

“Well, I do.”

“Have you ever thought about getting one?”

“A couple times, but not seriously,” you tell him, “Not sure what I’d get.”

“I think you should get a big number 9 plastered across your back,” he suggests with a faux-serious expression.

You snort, “And why would I do that?”

He shrugs innocently, “So you can have a piece of your favorite footballer wherever you go.”

“That’s funny because you and I both know my favorite footballer is…”

“I swear to God if you get the number 24 tattooed anywhere on your body, I’ll scream.”

You laugh out loud, placating your boyfriend with another kiss. “I think I’ll have to keep thinking of other tattoo ideas before I commit to anything officially.”

“Fine,” Jamie agrees.

You move your fingers up the length of his arm to run gently across his face, “With everything that happened last night, I never got the chance to ask you about your dad. Was he at the game?”

Jamie looks down, but covers your hand with his, “No, he wasn’t. Which I think honestly messed with me more. I ended up texting him afterwards, but I haven’t heard back yet.”

“I’m sorry, Jamie,” you whisper, knowing their relationship was complicated, but that he still begrudgingly cared about the man, “I think reaching out could be good. You don’t have to forgive him, but you deserve a little closure.”

Jamie nods, “Yeah. Ted said something like that, too.”

You smile internally. Of course he did. 

Jamie lifts his head to glance at the clock on your side of the bed, “I think we overslept.”

You roll your eyes light heartedly, “Yeah, I wonder why.”

Jamie smirks giving you yet another kiss, “We should get ready. Can I drive you to the club today?”

Your heart flutters at how excited he seems to publicly take you to work for the first time. Unfortunately, you had a few loose ends to tie up this morning, so you’d be going to the club later this afternoon, getting the all clear from Rebecca over text on your way home last night. 

“I’ll actually be in a little later today. I have some things I need to do first,” you’re attuned to the way Jamie’s face falls, so you quickly reach out to stroke his cheek again, “I promise there’s nothing to worry about. I want to tell you everything. I was thinking over dinner tonight? I can make my lasagna that you like so much.”

Jamie’s expression relaxes, though you can tell he’s still a bit weary of what exactly you’ll be telling him. Still, he gives you a tiny smile, “That sounds great, babe.”

“Good. Now hurry up and get ready. Don’t want Roy to yell at you.” 

Jamie groans, but reluctantly pushes himself out of bed. You eventually manage to get up yourself once he’s ready, pulling on one of his tee-shirts so you can kiss him goodbye at the door. 

Once he’s gone, you take a deep breath. Despite your indecision about your job situation, spending the night carrying on with Jamie, Keeley, and Roy made what you wanted to do become clear as day. You weren’t sure how everyone would react, especially with the trouble Keeley and Rebecca had gone through, but you knew in your heart you had to follow your dreams on your own terms. And that’s exactly what you were going to start doing this morning.

Jamie arrives at Nelson Road with a sense of self assurance he’s never had before. Sure, he’s always had an air of confidence and cockiness about him his entire life, but today Jamie feels a special sense of pride when he enters the locker room. Not only had he helped his team win a game in his home city the night before, he was dating the most incredible girl he has ever met and now everyone knew it. 

As if they didn’t hype him up enough about it the night before, his teammates greet him with pats on the back and teasing remarks about the match, and about you. Jamie rolls his eyes, joking right along with them, but on the inside he’s admittedly enjoying the praise. He knows the team loves you, and is very protective of you. And while he knows they’ve grown to love him too since returning to Richmond, it warms his heart that they not only approve of his relationship with you, but are almost as excited about it as he is. Almost. He was definitely the most excited.

The Greyhounds go about their morning, getting ready for training, and the spirit continues to be high. For whatever reason, though, Jamie senses a shift in the mood when the coaches enter the locker room. They’re probably going to want to get serious about their final game of the season, he assumes, but another piece of him worries that something else is going on.

“Hey, everyone listen up,” Ted calls out and he’s missing the usual pep in his voice, “I’ve got something I want to say to you all before training.”

The team instantly stops whatever they’re doing to give their coach their full attention. Ted exchanges a look with Coach Beard who nods reassuringly. Roy and Trent stand off to the side, seemingly in the loop as well, and they don’t look thrilled about whatever it is. 

When Ted turns back to face the team, he’s scratching his face nervously, but he takes a deep breath and continues, “There’s been a lot going on in my life lately, mentally, as you may know. And while I’ve been handling things better, there’s still one thing I can’t fix here, and that’s my relationship with my kid. He hasn’t said anything himself, but I know I’m not present enough in his life. So, that’s why I decided after our season’s over, I’m going to go back to Kansas. Permanently. So...this will be my last week as your coach.”

It takes everyone in the room a second to process this, but when reality hits them, there’s an uproar of confusion, sadness, and frustration. It's unclear what each of them say, as they talk over one another, but most are just trying to tell Ted to stay in their own way. 

Ted nods his head, letting them get it all out, before raising his hand to calm them down. “Hey, hey, hey. I know it’s sudden, but trust me I didn’t think this through lightly. Coaching you guys the last few years has been one of the greatest honors and privileges of my life. But now I need some time to focus on my family and I hope you all will come to understand that.”

Silence blankets the room again, before another chorus of murmurs echo their understanding, though the mood in the room is still solemn. For Jamie’s part, he’s mostly remained silent from his seat on the bench, too shell-shocked by the news to say or do anything. He understood that Ted was leaving, but the actuality of it wasn’t hitting him completely yet. Probably because he didn’t want to let himself believe it, with how important Ted was to him, even if he didn’t always acknowledge that. 

“So, who’s gonna be our coach next year?” Dani asks, and few teammates tack on ‘yeahs’ in equal curiosity. 

Jamie notices Ted’s eyes briefly flit to Roy, but the assistant coach just continues starting straight ahead with his arms crossed.

“Uh, I’m not sure yet. Think that’s up to Rebecca, but I just told her the news this morning,” Ted answers honestly. 

“Coach Beard, are you leaving, too?” Colin questions this time.

Everyone’s heads whip to the man in question at the front of the room next to Ted.

Slowly Beard nods his head, “Yeah. I’m leaving, too.”

Another round of depressed groans carries through the locker room as the team processes a second loss.

“Wait, what about Y/N?” Sam brings up before he can even stop himself, but as soon as he sees the alarmed look on his coaches faces, he realizes his mistake. “Shit.”

The team grows quiet again, their heads turning to Sam this time, and Jamie’s heart skips a beat at the sound of your name.

“Uh, what does Y/N have to do with this?” Isaac questions.

“Yeah, just because she’s American doesn’t automatically mean she’s leaving, too.” Jan Maas adds on.

While Jamie’s equally confused, his heart continues to pound against his chest. With furrowed brows, he looks between a guilt-ridden Sam, and Beard and Ted, who exchange looks of their own. An uneasy feeling forms in the pit of his stomach, as he and the rest of his teammates wait for an explanation.

A nervous Ted clears his throat, nodding again, “I think what Sam is referring to is that...Y/N is actually my niece.” To the chorus of gasps, Ted continues, “Yeah. She didn’t want you fellas to know, so you didn’t think she got her job because we were related.”

Jamie’s heart drops. So many things become clear in that moment; why it felt like you’d been keeping something from him, how you’d become so close to Ted in a short period of time, why you were so good with Henry when he visited. You’ve known him your whole life. He can barely hear Ted continue as he processes all of this. 

“I’m sure this isn’t how she pictured you all finding out. But either way, me leaving doesn’t necessarily mean she’ll want to go as well,” he tells everyone.

However, no one has time to feel relief when a small voice pipes up.

“But what about that job she’s interviewing for?” Will asks from the back of the room, drawing everyone’s attention to him. Suddenly nervous with everyone’s eyes on him, he carries on with a stutter, “I-I heard her talking to Sam in the boot room about it one day. She’s interviewing for a writing job in New York.”

Once again, everyone’s heads sharply turn to Sam, who looks apologetically at Jamie across the room. That’s when it sinks in for everyone. You in fact could be leaving them too. 

Jamie can barely hold eye contact with Sam, turning his attention to his shoes. His breathing goes heavy, and he barely makes out Coach Beard ordering everyone to start heading towards the pitch for training. Sam is the last one to file out besides Jamie. He wants to apologize to his friend, for helping keep your secret, and letting Jamie find out this way, but he doesn’t know what to say to make him feel better. So, he just defeatedly follows the rest of his team out of the locker room doors.

Jamie’s not sure how much time passes when a hand on his shoulder brings him back to reality.

“Hey, Jamie,” Ted’s soothing voice says to him, “Want to chat in my office for a sec?”

Jamie nods absent-mindedly, rubbing his face before following behind his coach. He passes Roy who only gives him a pat on the back before leaving with Beard and Trent. 

Ted shuts the door behind Jamie, before rounding his desk to sit in his office chair. Jamie fidgets for a few seconds before leaning against the shelf near the door. 

After it's clear Jamie’s not going to start this conversation, Ted speaks up again himself, “Well, first off I want to say I’m sorry that you found out about everything this way. I’m sure she wanted to tell you all of that herself, and I’m sure Sam didn’t mean for it to come out that way either.” 

Jamie nods, still not looking at Ted. Internally, he laughs bitterly. You were probably going to tell him all of this tonight; feed him a nice meal just to break his heart.

“If it’s any consolation, this is the first time I’m hearing about this job in New York, too,” Ted adds, “So it has nothing to do with my decision to go back to the states, if that’s really something she’s considering. In fact, I haven’t had the chance to tell her my news either.”

“So, she’s really your niece?” Jamie finally says. He definitely knows it's the truth, but he’s still in disbelief that it's been right under his nose the whole time. 

“Sort of,” Ted snorts, “Her dad is Michelle’s brother. So, in a way she’s not technically my niece any more. But she’s still my family in the way that matters.” 

Jamie nods again. A piece of him is touched by the way Ted has clearly been looking out for you the last few months; especially after your breakup. But another part of him is horrified that he’s been sneaking around with a relative of Ted’s this whole time. 

It’s as if Ted can sense his uneasiness as he speaks again, “I’m really happy for you two by the way.”

“Really?” Jamie asks, making eye contact with him for the first time.

“Really, really,” Ted nods, with a kind smile on his face, his head resting in his hand, “I think it’s great. I mean, I just found out yesterday, but she is clearly very smitten with you.”

Jamie’s cheek’s flush and he prays Ted doesn’t notice. “You’re not going to threaten me or tell me I’m not good enough for her?”

“Nah, that’s more of a dad’s job; and she’s got two so I’m sure you’ll hear that speech plenty,” Ted teases, “But I also know you, Jamie. I’ve seen you come into yourself the last few years, and that person is a good guy. Getting to see your growth has been one of the best parts of coaching this team, and one of the things I’ll miss the most. I don’t need to tell you not to hurt her, because I know you won’t. Besides, I can see that you’re just as smitten with her, if not more.”

If Jamie wasn’t blushing before, he definitely was now. Not only because of his comment about his feelings for you, but also due to Ted complimenting him. He was once again overcome with sadness thinking about Ted not being around anymore, but he couldn’t handle that thought right now. And he certainly couldn’t handle thinking about how he’d feel if you were leaving, too.

Unsure of what else to say, Jamie just settles on a simple thank you. 

Ted gives him another supportive smile. “Don’t mention it. Just go easy on her about this whole job thing. She’s probably confused by it all, and she might not even go. Just talk to her about it, okay?”

Jamie nods, managing a tiny smile of his own. “Coach?” he asks softly, “Would it be okay if I skip training today? Think I need to clear my head. Might end up going for a run on my own anyway.”

Ted nods assuringly, “Of course.”

As Jamie stands up and heads for the door, he turns to Ted one last time. “Coach?”

Ted looks at him curiously.

“Thank you. For everything you’ve done for me the last three years. I think it really sucks that you’re leaving, but I understand why. You’ve got to do what’s best for you and your family, and I’m sure your son will be glad to have you back around. I know the rest of the team’s bummed, but they’ll probably be over it by tomorrow and support you, too.”

This time Ted is the one overcome with emotion, knowing it's rare to get this much sentiment from Jamie Tartt. Trying not to show it, Ted just nods and gives him another smile. “Thank you, Jamie.”

With one last tight smile, Jamie pulls open Ted’s office door and disappears around the corner.

Your plan to have a productive morning was very successful. After treating yourself to a big, homemade breakfast, you hunkered down at a local café to get some things done regarding the job options you had. In effort to not get distracted, you turned your phone on ‘do no disturb’ and then spent a few hours drafting emails, tightening up your manuscript, and preparing what you were going to say to Jamie later in the day. 

After feeling satisfied with your work, you close your laptop and decide you have a bit of time before you need to be at the club, so you plan to go to the grocery store to get everything you need for dinner with Jamie. However, when you open your phone to type out a list, you see dozens of missed calls and texts.

Your first instinct is that someone had to have died. But that was ridiculous. Still, your nerves are spiking as you check your texts. There were a slew of them from various members of the team, and even Roy and Trent Crimm. In some shape or form, they were all asking about your relation to Ted, whether or not you were leaving Richmond, and if you were taking that job in New York. 

You feel like you’re going to be sick. How the fuck did they know all of that?

You get your answer when you finally listen to the one lone voicemail you had. It was from Sam.

“Hi, I can’t talk long, I’m meant to be at training, but I need to tell you that I fucked up and I’m sorry. The team knows about you being related to Ted. And about the New York job. It all just came out and I can explain more later, but I just need you to know that I’m so, so sorry. And I’m sorry if it hurt Jamie, but I know you two will work it out. Okay, I gotta go. Beard and Roy are coming. I’m sorry again. Okay, bye.”

There’s not an ounce of you that can be mad at Sam, especially with how distraught he sounds. And shit. Jamie. The one person that didn’t reach out. You can’t imagine what he’s thinking right now.

Running out of the café, you furiously navigate your phone to order an Uber to the club, furiously cursing yourself for not being able to drive on the left side of the road. Stupid England. 

Once you arrive, you race through the halls to the locker room. It's about time for lunch, and you count your blessings that most of the team must have already left the premises to eat. Among the few stragglers is Sam, who is anxiously sitting on the bench staring at his phone. His head shoots up when you enter, causing him to stand with wide eyes, meeting you halfway.

“Oh, my God, Y/N, I am so sorry, I completely messed everything up,” he begins, desperate to fix it all.

You shake your head as aggressively as you can, “You do not need to apologize to me. It’s okay. I just need to find Jamie, is he here?”

Sam frowns, “No. He didn’t end up training with us today, and no one’s heard from him since this morning.”

“Shit,” you sigh, rubbing your hands over your face. You rack your brain for where Jamie could have possibly gone, but one thing still isn’t making sense to you. Dropping your hands, you return your gaze to your best friend.

“Sam, why did this all happen?”

Sam’s shoulders sag, his expression unreadable. His eyes eventually leave yours to look at something over your shoulder. The sound of someone clearing their throat makes you spin around to see Ted standing in the doorway to the coaches’ offices. He nods his head for you to join him.

Glancing back at Sam one more time, he gives you a small smile and squeezes your shoulder. He apologizes one last time, to which you assure him  that everything is okay. But you were finding it hard to believe that yourself. 

Ted shuts the office door behind you and you dramatically fall into Beard’s chair as Ted sits in his own. 

You don’t bother beating around the bush, “What the hell is going on? I don’t come to work once and Sam ends up spilling the beans on everything. Did something happen?”

Your uncle gives you a sympathetic smile, “Yeah. I spilled some beans of my own.” At your confused expression, Ted plows forward, “I’m going back to Kansas.”

“For the summer?” you ask, though you fear you know the answer.

“No, Kiddo,” he sighs, “After the season’s over, I’m moving back to be closer to Henry. And Beard’s going back, too.”

“Oh,” you nod in understanding, but still find it hard to process, “When did you make that decision?”

“This morning, after my mom left,” he admits sheepishly, “But I’ve been thinking about it for a while.”

You sit across from him in silence, taking it all in. The only reason you were here in the first place was because of Ted. What were you supposed to do now?

“The team didn’t exactly take it well,” Ted explains, “And in the midst of the chaos, Sam asked what me leaving meant for you. Everything sort of snowballed after that.

You inhale deeply, taking it all in. 

“And Jamie?” you ask quietly, “How did he take it?”

“I think he was just caught off guard and trying to figure out how to process it all,” Ted tells you, “He was surprised about the family thing. And the whole job in New York thing.” 

“Jesus, he’s probably pissed at me again,” you groan, “I was literally going to tell him everything tonight. I just needed a few more hours.”

Ted’s lips quirk up, “That’s life, Kiddo. It doesn’t always go exactly how we’d like it to.”

You scoff, “Yeah well life is stupid.”

“Yeah, it can be,” Ted chuckles, “I think it sounds great; a writing job in New York. That’s what you’ve always wanted, right? To write and live in the Big Apple?”

“Yeah. It was,” you say quietly, “But I wasn’t sure if that's what I wanted still, so I was trying to figure it out before I told Jamie. Or anyone.”

“Hey, that’s fair,” Ted nods supportively, “If you want my humble opinion, I think it’s great if you want to go for it in New York. I also think it’s great if you decide to stay here and continue to figure things out. Heck, it would even be great if you wanted to come back to Kansas, too. But Kiddo, you have to make that decision, whatever it may be, on behalf of yourself. Not for me, not for Jamie, not for anyone else. Just for you.”

Ted’s words settle in the air and you take it all in. While you were already pretty dead set on what you were going to do, you definitely agreed with his sentiment. You had to follow your own gut for once, not anyone else’s.

“You’re right,” you eventually say softly, “I think I know what I’m going to do, but I think I owe it to Jamie to finally have him be the first to know.”

Ted gives you a supportive smile, and your stomach flips.

“So, you’re really leaving?”

Ted nods solemnly, “I’m really leaving.”

“Then who the hell is going to make ridiculous puns around here to annoy Roy?”

This makes Ted snort, “I don’t know. I’m hoping I’ve rubbed off on enough of them, that they’ll carry on the tradition.”

You laugh along with him. You wonder if Ted will ever fully understand the impact he’s had here. On the club, on the team, and even on you these past months. You have a feeling even if he did, it wouldn’t be enough to change his mind. 

You spend the next few hours trying to track down Jamie, hoping the sooner you could find him and explain things, the less damage would accrue. 

However, he wasn’t answering your calls or texts, and no one seems to know where he is. You fear, even after your promises to communicate with each other after your last falling out, Jamie had once again resorted to pushing you completely away.

Lucky for you, Keeley happened to pop by the club that afternoon, and after getting caught up on the drama, insisted on driving you to Jamie’s to see if he’s there. Unfortunately, after searching every nook and cranny of his lavish home, you resign to the fact that he’s not there. You feel defeated as you resituate yourself in Keeley’s passenger seat, unsure of what to do next. She offers to drive you around Richmond, suggesting that Jamie could be blowing off steam, running somewhere, and maybe you’d pass him. You take up her offer, less so because you hoped to catch a glimpse of him, and more so to avoid going home to any empty home for a little while longer. 

It was nearly 6PM by the time Keeley drops you off at your flat. Suffice it to say, you didn’t find Jamie jogging around Richmond. You also didn’t find him wallowing in Crown and Anchor, but that didn’t stop you and Keeley from doing so yourself over a quick pint before calling off your search for the night. As she drove you home, you briefly wondered if Jamie could have possibly fled back to Manchester, to see his mom again. But that was four hours away, and there was no chance you were asking Keeley, or anyone for that matter, to make that drive. And the Uber fare would be atrocious. 

As you climb your apartment stairs, you resign to a night of waiting by your phone, hoping to hear from him, and if not, trying to find him again tomorrow. 

When you walk into your home, you’re instantly overcome with the feeling that you’re not alone. You’re proven right when, as you’re discarding your coat and shoes, Jamie enters the living room from your kitchen. 

“Hi,” you breathe out, after getting over the shock of seeing him, “Have you been here the whole time?”

Jamie shrugs, “I went on a run for a bit. But eventually I got the urge to come here.”

You nod, still on edge, “You, uh, didn’t think to answer any of my calls or texts?”

Jamie cringes, “So, I’m pretty sure I left my phone in my bag in the locker room.”

You scoff in disbelief, “Jamie…”

“I know. I know. That was stupid. But I left the club in such a hurry, I wasn’t thinking.”

“I was worried sick all day, I thought you were shutting me out again,” you whimper tiredly, unable to stop yourself from giving into the emotion that built up all day.

“Shit,” Jamie mutters, taking large steps to close the gap between the two of you to gather you in his arms, “I’m sorry.”

You allow yourself to feel comforted by his embrace for a few seconds before you’re shoving him away abruptly, “Fuck! I shouldn’t be making you apologize to me, when I’m the one who lied to you and hurt you. Again!” 

You cover your face with your hands, frustrated at yourself for making Jamie feel even an ounce of guilt, when you were once again in this situation because of you.

Gently, Jamie pries your hands from your face and interlocks your fingers together. “Hey, it’s okay.”

“It’s not, though! I keep messing things up between us because I don’t know how to communicate like a normal human being. And you don’t deserve to be jerked around like this. But I promise, I can explain everything if you give me the chance.”

Jamie swallows, taking in your words, though a tiny smile plays at his mouth. “I promise I will give you the chance, but is it okay if I say some things first?”

You hesitate, your eyebrows furrowing over what he could possibly have to say, but eventually you nod. 

“Thank you,” Jamie whispers, giving your hands another squeeze and then he takes a deep breath, “You’ve been spending a lot of time lately reassuring me that I’m good enough, but I feel like I haven’t done enough to assure you that you are more than enough for me. Yeah, it has sucked to feel like you were keeping stuff from me. I knew you couldn’t have been doing anything wrong, but it still hurt that you either didn’t want me to know or trust me enough to let me in. But now I understand that it has nothing to do with me. I get that letting people in is hard and that you were afraid that the secrets you were keeping would make things harder. Sure, it would have been nice to know you were related to Ted from the get-go. I might have not tried so hard to sleep with my coach's niece the first chance I got.”

You manage a small laugh.

“Obviously, I don’t regret that though. And I get why you did it. I get that it might have made your job more complicated, and then even more so once we got together. Telling family is a big step. So, I get it, I do.

“I even get why you didn’t tell me about the job in New York. The thought of you leaving…I can’t even think about it too much. But I also know that it's your dream. And the last time you told a guy you wanted to go after your dream, he discouraged you. And even though I would never do that, I know deep down that still scares you. But I want you to know that I think it's amazing; that you’re writing again, and that you have the opportunity to do it in the city you’ve always wanted to live in. I’m so proud of you, and want you to be where you need to be. Even if it's not here with me. So, that's why, as much as it kills me to say, I think you should do it. You should take the job in New York.”

Jamie’s words weigh heavily on you. Firstly, you’re heartened by his reassurance that you were more than enough for him. You didn’t realize how much you needed to hear that. Secondly, you were simultaneously surprised and not surprised that he was encouraging you to pursue the New York job. It wasn’t a direction you had been expecting this inevitable conversation to take, but it was Jamie you were talking about. Of course he’d say exactly the right thing and support you, even if it meant you moving back to another continent.

Overcome with complete adoration for him, and since words are failing you at the moment, you can’t help but to plant a gentle kiss on his lips. As you pull away, Jamie is clearly surprised by the act of affection, but he’s also not complaining. He looks at you expectantly, hoping you do eventually have something to say in response to his speech. And you do. You just need to figure out how to word it best. 

You eventually inhale your own shaky breath, meeting his eyes once again, “Thank you, for saying all of that. It means a lot to me. Even if you say you understand, I’m still sorry for keeping everything from you, especially now that it has come out this way. It really all stemmed from not wanting to mess anything up between us, but of course the opposite still happened.

“I’ve been dying to tell you about Ted for so long, but like you said, telling family is a lot, and Ted’s an important part of your life too, so I didn’t want to make things weird between you two. 

“And the job…I knew you’d be excited for me. But I think I just never wanted to see the look on your face when you heard it was in New York. And then things got more complicated when Keeley told me she knew a literary agent, here in the U.K. who might be interested in meeting with me.”

“Oh?” Jamie’s eyebrows shoot up in hopeful curiosity.

“Yeah. So, as you may have guessed, I needed some time to sort out what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go.”

“And,” Jamie asks timidly, “Have you decided?”

After a few beats, you nod. “Yeah. I decided I can’t work for that agency here.” Jamie’s face falls and you’re quick to latch back onto his hand, “But I also can’t take the job in New York either.”

Jamie stares at you in total confusion, “What?”

You smile slightly, finding his expression oddly adorable. “I want to write more than anything, and part of me is happy doing it by any means necessary, but I also hate the idea of not being able to prove myself on my own. Back in Chicago, Mason got me the job at the advertising firm. Then, when I got tired of that, Ted and Rebecca got me the job for Richmond. My friend from Chicago got me an interview in New York, and Keeley knows a literary agent here. Everything I’ve done has been because some else suggested it or did it for me. I’m not naive enough to know that sometimes connections are how people get work these days, but I don’t want that to be my story. I want to succeed because I did it on my own. 

“So, this morning, I told the publisher in New York I was no longer interested in interviewing for the reading position, and then spent hours refining my manuscript and submitting it to a few small, independent publishing houses to see if any of them would be interested in working with me. I know it won’t be as lavish as the publishing houses in New York or the one Keeley had connections to. But all writers start from somewhere, and I want to start somewhere on my terms.”

Jamie digests everything you said, and eventually gives you a shaky smile, “And where are these publishers you submitted to?”

You give Jamie your own shy smile, “Right here, in England.” Jamie’s grin widens as you continue, “I’ve never felt more at home, than I have here. And with the exception of my own family, I’ve never been surrounded by more people who genuinely care about me. I feel more like myself than I ever have before and I’m not really keen on losing any of that.” You bite your lip, “And I also sorta really like a certain footballer that lives here, too. So that’s kinda the cherry on top of it all.”

Jamie lets out a disbelieving laugh, “So, you’re staying?”

“Yeah,” you nod, “Is that okay?”

Instead of answering, Jamie places both his hands on either side of your face and kisses you with as much passion as he can muster. You don’t hesitate to reciprocate, sliding your hands up his stomach to rest on his chest. You knew better now than to make a decision on behalf of a man, but god, were you glad that you got to keep doing this for the foreseeable future. 

When Jamie pulls away from you a few moments later, his eyes are watery, “I know I said I was okay with you going to New York - and I meant that - but, God, I’m glad you’re not.”

You giggle, “I’m pretty happy with my decision, too.”

Jamie leans in to kiss you again, but you lean back with your nose scrunched up. Your brain is less clouded by emotions now, and you finally pick up on the aroma flooding your home.

“Are you cooking something?”

Jamie smiles awkwardly, his face flushed, “Yeah, so during my run, I had this grand idea to surprise you with dinner like you usually do for me. So I grabbed what I could from the store and attempted to make your lasagna recipe. It’s probably nowhere near as good as yours is, and the garlic bread is store bought, but that shit still tastes fucking good, if I do say myself.”

You can’t keep the bright smile off your face, “I’m sure it’ll be amazing.”

Jamie squints, “Yeahhh, maybe wait to try it first before you give me too much credit.”

You giggle and shake your head, before pulling Jamie in for a warm hug, which he accepts without protest.

You couldn’t care less how the food was going to taste. It could be burned to a crisp and you still knew it would be the best meal of your life. Because Jamie, your Jamie, took the time to make it to make you happy. And push you towards a decision that he thought would be what you wanted, even if it hurt him. 

You were so lucky to have him, and you were comforted by the fact that he seemed pleased to have you as well. And now there were no more secrets between you threatening to unravel everything. Jamie wasn’t going to disappear on you again, and you certainly weren’t going anywhere either. Richmond was your dream home now, and the fact that your person lived here too was the best kind of bonus.

A/N: THERE IT ISSSS CANT WAIT TO HEAR EVERYONE’S REACTIONS! ALSO, was anyone else bummed we didn’t see the team’s reaction to Ted leaving in the show when they first heard? i’ve had the scene in my head as the ted reveal since i thought of this story between season 3 even came out because i knew they’d take ted away from us and i was shook we didn’t get a reveal. i get why and part of me appreciates them not focusing on the sad, but i really took away from my story haha

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[illiterateaffairs]

DISTRACTIONS IX | SLIPS THROUGH MY FINGERS

pairing: jamie tartt x f!reader (ted lasso)

rating: T

word count: 8,686

summary: your relationship with jamie is stronger than ever! but another secret could bring you further apart. literally. 

A/N: sorry for posting this later than i would like - i’ve had a crazy week. this is a big one! it’s setting us up for the last few chapters so buckle up fuckleheads for any succession girlies out there <3

distractions masterlist | previous chapter  

Jamie shouldn’t be nervous. There was no reason to be. The two of you have been together for almost two months, and things couldn’t have been going better. 

You’ve just never been on an official date.

He’d brought this up one night about a week ago. In your sleepy state, you’d eagerly agreed to it, but in the morning you’d grown hesitant. You didn’t want to risk being seen together; by press, fans, or God forbid anyone you knew. While he understood your protectiveness over your relationship - that he still hoped would simmer soon - he still wanted to take you out. You deserved to be wined and dined outside of the confines of your respective homes. So, he convinced you to let him take you to a restaurant a few towns over. He promised no one on the team or otherwise would be there, and no one would be on the lookout for Jamie Tartt outside of Richmond. 

He was relieved when you didn’t take much convincing after his initial pitch. With a smile, you accepted his offer for a date, and he smothered his excitement by kissing you.

Now as he stood outside your door, he was regretting pushing for this. He shouldn’t be so anxious. You’ve spent loads of time together, and it's always gone really well. He wouldn’t even be in this position if you didn’t like him and spending time with him, but that didn’t stop the ache in the pit of his stomach.

Jamie just wanted to give you the best date you’d ever been on. 

That started with him finding the perfect elegant, yet under the radar restaurant about a thirty minute drive outside of Richmond. He also spent way too long picking out an outfit all week, before setting on a dress shirt and pants, complete with a black leather jacket. He’d off-handedly mentioned asking Isaac for his haircut for the season in preparation for this, but despite not knowing what that really even meant, you vehemently argued against it. He thought it was once again due to your need to keep your relationship a secret, but it turned out you just really, really liked his hair the way it was. And that certainly gave him a much needed confidence boost this week. 

His hands were still sweating as he knocked on your door. He took a deep breath, his heart rate spiking when he heard the sound of heels approaching. The knot in his stomach turned into butterflies as soon as he laid eyes on you.

He’s seen you in various states of dress; in sweats, in work-attire, in his clothes, in no clothes, and even dressed up for one of Rebecca’s galas a few months ago. But the way you looked tonight took his breath away. You were wearing a simple navy blue dress, accented nicely with jewelry and your hair styled the way you knew he liked. Most notable was the warm smile on your face. He could hardly believe you were dressed this way for him; that you were happy to be going on a date with him.

“Hi!” you beam, “You look amazing.”

Jamie shakes his head, still looking you up and down, “I can’t look nearly as incredible as you do.” 

You bite your lip and thank him. When he eventually snaps out of his trance, he leans in to kiss you, but you gently press your hand against his chest. 

“Hey, no kissing on the first date,” you whisper teasingly.

Jamie groans, brushing his nose against yours, “You’re going to kill me.”

You giggle, “Make it a good date, and maybe I’ll have a change of heart later.”

With that, he’s tugging you out of your flat, eager to get this date started.

While your drive to the restaurant is a bit long, you two make the most of it, chatting lightly and singing along to a playlist he’d curated for you. A half hour later, he’s opening his car door for you and doesn’t let go of your hand until you reach your rounded booth in the back of the restaurant. It was thrilling to hold your hand like that so freely, and he couldn’t wait until he could do things like that more often. 

“Mmm, Italian’s my favorite,” you muse as you browse the menu.

“I know,” Jamie replies softly, and you give him a blinding smile. 

He orders chicken parmesan and you order the pesto, but you steal bites from each other’s plates. He also goes all out and orders a bottle of the most expensive red wine on the menu. Roy wouldn’t be thrilled by the meal choice, but Roy would have to deal with it.

About halfway through the meal, Jamie gets the courage to tell you something he’s been waiting to all night. 

“So, I, uh got a call earlier this week,” he starts, pushing pieces of food around his plate, “From the coach of England’s national team.” He glances at you and sees that you’re listening intently. He takes a deep breath, “He invited me to play on the team during the international break.”

Your eyes nearly pop out of your head as you process the news. Jamie had told you about the premier league’s international breaks a little while ago, but you had no idea when and how that came to be. You hadn’t expected him to get invited right away, but you were excited nonetheless. 

“Oh, my God, Jamie, that's incredible!” you exclaim, scooting yourself closer to him in the booth to throw your arms around him. “I’m so proud of you.”

He happily nestles into you, his heart warming from your embrace as well as your pride in him. “Thanks, babe.”

You pull away, flashing him your bright smile once again. “This is so exciting. What did the team say? What did your mom say?”

He shrugs one shoulder, “You’re the first person I’ve told so far.”

Your face settles from the excitement and relaxes into a touched grin. Without saying anything else, you press your lips against his. 

“I thought there was no kissing on the first date,” he smirks against your lips before pulling away.

“I make an exception when my boyfriend is playing for the England national team.” 

You peck him one last time before scooting back over to your spot across from him.

Jamie’s cheeks heat up, and he happily resumes eating his meal. 

“I actually have something to share,” you timidly say after a few minutes go by, “Not nearly as exciting as your news, but still something.”

Jamie looks at you curiously.

“I haven’t really told anyone this either, but I’ve actually been writing a lot recently,” you admit, “I started working on what somehow turned into a full-length novel a few months ago, and now I’m almost done with a first draft.”

Jamie breaks out into his own bright smile, “Hey, that’s definitely as exciting. I’m glad you started writing again. And a book? That’s so cool. My girlfriend’s an author.”

You chuckle, “I wouldn’t go that far. It's nowhere near ready to be published. But I might be able to start sharing pieces of it with agents soon.”

“Still, that’s so fucking cool,” he reaffirms, taking your hand into his and giving it a squeeze, “Will I get a chance to read it anytime soon?”

You bite your lip, “Hmm, maybe someday.”

He smiles, “I’m gonna hold you to that.”

To celebrate both of your recent career wins, Jamie orders you a slice of tiramisu to share. He’s nearly certain this date was going perfectly, until during your dessert, a familiar voice is calling out his name. 

“Jamie?” an alarmed Colin questions, coming to a stop in front of your table.

Jamie flashes you a quick look, before turning to his teammate calmly and coolly, “Colin, hey, what are you doing here?”

Colin’s eyes flit to yours and he gives you a kind, yet anxious smile before turning back to Jamie. “I’m, uh, here with my parents. Yeah.”

The look Colin gives Jamie instantly has him understanding why the boy seems so caught off guard. He was definitely not here with his family. 

At their last game, Colin told the team he was gay after an ignorant fan shouted offensive things at Isaac. While the team and coaches showed him nothing but love and support, it was still his wish to keep things quiet from the rest of the world a little longer, and everyone respected that. So, while Colin may have been here on his own discreet date, he wasn’t exactly ready to admit that you, even though you’d definitely be just as loving and supportive of him. 

Jamie instantly gave Colin a warm smile, conveying his understanding of the situation. “That’s nice. Tell them I say hi.”

Colin nods, and gives Jamie his own thankful smile. Then he’s looking back over to you, still a bit curious of your situation. “What brings you two here?”

Jamie opens his mouth to answer, but you’re cutting him to the chase. 

“Jamie knew I was on the hunt for the best pasta in the U.K. and heard this place was pretty great, so we decided to check it out together. As friends.”

Jamie watches you force a neutral smile as you finish explaining your excuse to Colin. Despite going along with the secrecy himself, it still stung to hear you refer to him as a friend. For some dumb reason, a tiny part of him hoped you’d forgo your plan for the night, and maybe tell Colin. It was just one more person, and he knew Colin was trustworthy. He was a perfect first person to start with if you wanted to tell everyone soon. But the speed at which you jumped to answer Colin’s question with a perfectly formulated lie told him otherwise. 

Jamie forces his own smile back on his face, but he’s not sure it's quite as convincing as yours. When he looks back at Colin, something tells him he doesn’t believe it either, but even if he does know, Jamie’s sure he won’t be informing anyone else about what he thinks may actually be going on here. 

Colin bids you both a good night after that, rushing off to whoever his date must be. Jamie can sense you’re a little on edge after that, so once you finish dessert, he hurriedly calls for the check and leads you back out to his car.

“I’m sorry about freezing up like that,” you say softly a few minutes into the drive.

Jamie doesn’t take his eyes off the road when he replies, “It's okay. I’m sorry we still managed to run into someone..”

“Yeah, it was a little weird Colin’s family was having dinner so far out of the way,” you muse, mindlessly.

“Would it have been so bad if Colin knew we were on a date?” Jamie asks after another beat of silence.

“No, of course not,” you reassure, reaching for his hand across the console, “I just want to be selfish and keep you to myself a little longer.”

Jamie can’t help the smirk that forms on his face and he gives you a quick glance, “I guess I can’t blame you for that.”

You giggle, “Jamie?”

“Hmm?”

“I think that was the best date I’ve ever been on.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. So I’ve changed my mind,” wiggling around against your seatbelt a bit, you manage to lean over to press your lips against his cheek, “You’ve definitely earned more than a kiss or two tonight.”

Jamie sighs as you press one more chaste kiss to his neck and settle back into the passenger seat.

“Jesus, woman, you’re going to make me crash this car.”

With where things were headed, there’d be no time to dwell on the anxieties your secret relationship was causing him tonight. But there was always tomorrow. 

You and Jamie had gotten into a bit of a routine on Sundays when he didn’t have a football match. He’d train with Roy bright and early, and arrive back to your home to find you still in bed. That led to him peppering light kisses across your face to wake you. The two of you would then eat breakfast together, either prepared by you with Jamie acting as sous chef, or he’d pick something up on his way back. Then you’d lounge around the house doing various leisurely activities such as working on a puzzle (you’re favorite), playing FIFA (his favorite - but he pouted the first time when you chose to play as Sam), or watching Grey’s Anatomy (you’d started from the beginning and you were living for his reactions to it all). By the early afternoon, Jamie headed out for another training session, leaving you free time to work on your book. 

It was nearing 6PM on this particularly rainy Sunday, which meant you should finish up the chapter you were working on to begin making dinner. However, as you're in the midst of googling synonyms for “said” again, your phone starts ringing. You briefly hope it's Jamie offering to bring you something to eat to save you the trouble tonight, but your eyebrows furrow when you see a different contact name pop up.

“Kara?” You answer curiously. While you’d been talking to your old, Chicago friend a lot more recently, you two weren’t exactly the type for phone calls. 

“Hi!” she greets brightly, “I’m not catching you at a bad time am I?”

“Uh, no. Just been writing a little bit, but I’ve got time.”

“Okay great. That’s actually why I called. I found a job for you.”

You startle, “What?”

“You heard me. I was having lunch with Steph a little while ago,” Steph was her girlfriend, “And she was talking about how annoying one of her friends has been lately because all she does is complain about work. But get this - her friend works at a literary agency. She isn’t a writer or agent, she’s one of the publisher’s assistant, but their reader quit so she’s apparently been stuck reading manuscripts while they look for a replacement. So I thought, wait a second, I know someone who can read.”

You huff out a nervous laugh, “I’d say I more than know how to read.”

“Well, yeah,” Kara laughs too, “But Steph said that her friend said there’s a good chance if you do a good job, you can probably get your own book in front of the publisher one day.”

You pause. Okay so this was an actual opportunity. A job that’s actually in a field you want to be in. You think through what you say next.

“Jobs like that are so competitive. Are you sure they’re not already about to hire someone else?”

“No. Abby - Steph’s friend - says they haven’t even put a job posting up about it yet because they’re swamped with some book launch. So, if Abby recommended you, you’d be at the top of the list.”

Your heart hammers in your chest, “But then I’d also have to move back to Chicago.”

Kara gasps, “That’s the other thing! It's not in Chicago. It’s in New York. Abby moved there a couple years ago.” 

And your heart fully stops. New York. Your dream city. And the potential for your dream job. It was too good to be true. But in so many other ways not good. While moving to the U.K. and building a life - a great life - wasn’t initially part of your plan, it happened. And you weren’t sure you were ready to leave it behind.

“I can hear the wheels turning in your head even several time zones away,” Kara teases, “Look, I know it's a lot, but it’s not happening overnight. You’ve got to agree and Steph’s got to have Abby throw your hat in the ring, and then I’m sure it’ll be a few interviews, which I know you’ll nail. I know you’ve got your uncle there and the new boyfriend, but dude, it's your dream. Why not try and see what happens?”

You nod at her words even though she can’t see you. She was right. It was the opportunity you’d been waiting for. It was the path you wanted to take before you chose to follow a man down another. Why shouldn’t you just go for it?

Deep in your thoughts, you barely process a key turning in your door until Jamie walks through it. 

Oh, yeah. That’s why.

You gulp as he gives you a smile that normally makes your heart melt. Not wanting to interrupt, he gestures towards the kitchen and holds up his finger, letting you know he’d be right back. 

“Kara?” you say softly, even though Jamie was a room away, “I have to go, but yeah…tell Steph to tell Abby…I’m interested.”

Kara cheers and a tiny smile forms on your face as you sigh. You thank her for thinking of you before you say goodbye. You don’t have a second to process the last few minutes as Jamie returns with a glass of water, walking up behind where you’re sitting on the couch.

“Hi,” he greets, kissing the stop of your head, “Who was that?”

You gulp. “Um, my dads. They had a question about my lasagna recipe.”

“Your lasagna is the best,” Jamie chuckles, “Hey, I was gonna shower and then was thinking we could order Chinese tonight and you could call it in? Unless you want to join me?”

You manage a tiny small. As appealing as a hot shower with your even hotter boyfriend sounds right now, you’re eager for another moment alone. You tilt your head back and force a wider smile, “I’m tempted but think I’ll shower in the morning before work. But I’ll order. You want your usual?”

Jamie nods and presses another kiss to your nose before bounding down the hall to your room. “You’re the best!” he calls.

No you weren't. You were a dirty little liar. You just lied to Jamie’s face about your phone call, and you knew you wouldn’t be able to tell him about the job opportunity. You knew in your heart he’d be excited for you. But you also knew it would hurt him to hear it was back in the States. God, you shouldn’t be this stressed out over a job you don’t even have yet. And you didn’t even know if you truly wanted it. Until you had all that sorted, you could wait to tell him. But you would tell him. Eventually.

You normally prided yourself on your professionalism but your secret rendezvous with Jamie in your office were admittedly some of your favorite parts of your work day. Especially on days like today, where your brain was working overtime to overthink everything you’ve had going on. Your new anxious fixation that's been plaguing you all week was the job opportunity Kara presented you with. Since your conversation over the weekend, you found out that her girlfriend’s friend was able to get you a preliminary virtual interview with someone at the publishing house next week. And while a literary job enticed you, the opportunity was just another reason to feel guilty around Jamie. You were already not telling him about Ted, and thus not telling anyone about Jamie. The last thing you needed was another secret in your life. For the first time you had someone you were excited to share your hopes and aspirations with, but you didn’t anticipate it taking you back across the ocean from him. 

You’re more than aware that letting Jamie distract you from thoughts about, well, him, was counterproductive. But it was hard to think about anything when he had you pressed against your office door, trailing passionate kisses from your lips to your neck. 

“Jamie,” you moan as quietly as you possibly can, knowing anyone could walk past your office at any moment, “If you keep doing that you’ll give me a hickey.”

“I thought you liked them,” he teases and his sultry, soft voice gives you goosebumps. 

“Not when they’re visible,” you sigh but can’t help but let out a giggle.

Jamie lets his hands run down your arms and then your thighs as he falls to his knees in front of you, “Say no more.”

“Jamie!” you whisper-scold him as he lifts the hem of your sweater and starts peppering kisses across your stomach, his fingers skimming along the top of your trousers, “We can’t do this here.”

He smirks, tickling your stomach, “You weren’t complaining last week.”

“No one else was here,” you point out, but you find your resolve melting away as he works on the button of your pants. 

“No one is going to bother us, they’re all out for lunch.” Jamie promises. Unfortunately, his words jinx you, and right as his fingers tug on your zipper, a knock startles the both of you and a voice calls out your name. 

“I got food from that kebab place Roy likes for lunch if you’re hungry,” Sam announces, and you hear the smile in his voice despite it being muffled through the door. 

Both you and Jamie quietly curse as you straighten up. You smooth out one another’s hair and try to not appear flummoxed as you go to open the door. As soon as Sam sees the two of you, his friendly expression morphs into one of amusement. 

“Well, I certainly hope I wasn’t interrupting anything,” Sam says jokingly, and both of you roll your eyes. 

“I was just leaving actually,” Jamie speaks up, still a little breathless. He turns his back to Sam and gives you a disappointed look, “Guess I’ll go find something else for lunch.”

Your eyes fall closed, your face heating up from the double entendre and you thank the heavens Sam doesn’t make a remark even if he picked up on it. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to join us, Jamie?” Sam asks, holding up the take out bag as he steps into the room, “I have plenty for all of us.”

Jamie shakes his head, “Nah, I’ll leave you to it.” He doesn’t waste the opportunity to peck you on the lips quickly, not often getting the chance to do so in front of others, but Sam not only knew but was your biggest supporter. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” you smile up at him.

He nods, “I’ve got to go to Roy’s sister’s in the morning but after that I’m all yours.”

“Ah, yes. Uncle Day. I can’t wait to hear all about it,” you squeeze his hand, “And I’m sure he’ll love your gift.”

Jamie flushes but still appreciates the encouragement. He bids you and Sam goodbye as you two start unpacking your lunch. From the doorway he asks, “Do you want me to shut this?”

“Nah,” you wave your hand dismissively, “Gets too warm in here when it's shut.”

Jamie nods, giving you one last smile, but he regrets that it feels forced. It only took one reminder that, unlike with him, you can eat a meal freely with Sam without worrying about who will see, to ruin the good mood he was in. He needed a cold shower - for more than one reason. 

You and Sam settle down on either side of your desk, as you start pulling items out of the take out bag he presented you with. 

“Okay, what's your problem?” Sam asks after studying you for a few moments.

“What do you mean?” you furrow your eyebrows.

“You’ve got frowny face.”

“Frowny face?”

“Yeah, you’re all frowny. Last time you looked like this, you were trying to figure out how to end things with Jamie even though you were clearly obsessed with each other.” you roll your eyes, but he continues, “What’s wrong now?”

You think for a minute. You hadn’t told anyone about your phone call with Kara and subsequent job interview. You supposed you could have told Ted, but you didn’t know how he’d react to news of you potentially moving back home - and there was always the risk he would tell your dads, and you were not ready for them to know yet. You could have told Rebecca, who has been so encouraging of your writing, but you still didn’t want to see her reaction to you potentially quitting your job with her. So that pretty much left Sam. And honestly, he was the perfect person to talk things through with.

“So, I don’t think I mentioned this before, but I’ve been writing again,” you begin slowly, starting to pick at the foil covering your kebab.

Sam has already dug into his, his mouth full as he responds, “Really? That’s so exciting!”

“Yeah,” you nod, “And one of my friends back home found this job opening, where I could read manuscripts for a publisher and hopefully someday submit my own.”

Sam swallows, his sunny disposition fading a little, “This job is in Chicago?”

You hesitate, “No. But it's in New York. So still not here.”

“Ah. I understand the frowny face now.” You chuckle despite yourself. “I take it Jamie doesn’t know.”

You shake your head, “No.” You groan and put your head in your hands, “God, I am the worst girlfriend ever.”

Sam leans over the table and pulls your hands away from your face, “Don’t say that. It’s understandable why you’d hesitate to say anything. Jamie would probably support you, but I know he’d also be sad if you were to leave.”

“I know,” you pout, “And I don’t even know if I want to go.”

“See! No need to stir things up if nothing ever happens. I think it makes sense not to tell him yet and get him all freaked out over nothing,” Sam frowns, “I kind of wish you didn’t tell me yet either.”

You laugh, even as you’re still caught up in your emotions, “I’m sorry. I really don’t want to leave you, or anyone else either. But...”

“I know,” Sam nods, with a sad smile, “It's your dream. And trying to figure out the best way to navigate going for it and how to tell your boyfriend does not make you a bad girlfriend.”

You break eye contact with Sam, once again finding your kebab wrapper particularly interesting. “The thing is…that’s not the only thing I’m lying to him about.”

You can feel Sam’s stare, “What do you mean?”

Your eyes glance briefly at your door. Damn, maybe you should have told Jamie to close it.

“I never told you this either,” you begin softly, “But Ted is sort of…my uncle.”

You say it like a question, wondering what Sam will say. You’ve been here months and months and managed to keep this secret between you, Ted, Beard, and Rebecca. It was impressive actually, but you didn’t realize how much of a relief it was to admit it to someone else until you said it just now. You hesitantly look back over at Sam, who is just staring at you with narrowed eyes.

“Wait…Ted, as in Ted Lasso?” Sam asks, “Our coach, Ted?”

“Yeah. That Ted.”

“Then why don’t you talk like he does?”

That makes you laugh out loud. Out of all the things he could say. 

“Technically, we’re related through him be married to Michelle. Or he was. So he’s not really my uncle officially anymore, but we’re still close. Clearly.”

“Huh,” Sam nods, “I always wondered why Rebecca hired another American.”

“Yeah. I didn’t want anyone to know because I didn’t want it to look like I was handed the job.”

“Were you?”

“Yeah, pretty much.” You both laugh, “But hey I’m still the best damn assistant on either side of the pond. I’ve proven that much.”

“That’s very true,” Sam smiles. “But why haven’t you told Jamie yet? I don’t think knowing how you got the job would change anything.”

“I know,” you sigh, “But telling Ted and Jamie about each other makes things messy. I haven’t told anyone in my family that I started dating someone yet. I don’t know why, but I’m not ready to do that yet.”

“I understand. Telling family is a big deal. And so is moving to another country for a job. Which both of us know. I’m sure Jamie will be supportive of everything when you finally tell him, but I understand why you’re waiting. For now, you know you can come talk to me about it all anytime you need.”

You give him a genuine smile, “Thank you, Sam.”

“You’re welcome. Now start eating your kebab before it gets cold.”

“Aye aye captain.”

The next morning, with Jamie away celebrating Uncle Day with Roy, you’re left alone to spiral over your many decisions. Talking to Sam made you feel better. You knew you had your reasons to wait to tell Jamie about everything. Still, you couldn’t help but feel guilty. 

So, in effort not to think about that, you decided to spiral about your upcoming job interview instead. Despite it being over video call, you were distraught over having absolutely nothing to wear. That’s how you ended up with your bedroom floor covered in every shirt, sweater, and blouse you owned and absolutely none of them were right for an interview with a New York book publisher. 

Before you fully drown in your sea of clothes, someone knocks on your door. You jump through your room like you’re playing ‘the floor is lava’ and jog your way over to answer. You’re surprised when you find Keeley standing before you, looking gloomier than usual.

“Hey,” you greet, moving out of the way for her to come in before locking up behind her. “What’s up? Everything alright?”

Instead of answering, Keeley just collapses onto your couch and buries her face into one of your throw pillows. 

“Going to take that as a no,” you frown, “Is this an ice cream or alcohol situation?”

“Alcohol,” she mumbles.

“On it.”

Minutes later, you’re situating yourself beside her on the couch with two glasses of rosé and the bottle on standby. You don’t say anything, but you rub her back comfortingly, hoping to coax her out of her shell. A few moments later, she lifts her head from the pillow.

“Hi,” she says in a small voice, looking up at you while she’s still laying in the fetal position.

“Hey,” you say back with an encouraging smile, “Anything you want to talk about?”

Keeley takes a deep breath before forcing herself to sit up completely, crossing her legs in front of you. 

“They’re pulling funding for KJPR.”

Your eyes widen, “What? Why? But Jack-”

“And Jack and I broke up.”

Oh. Unable to formulate a sensical response, you close your mouth and frown. “Keeley…I’m so sorry.”

Without another word, you lean across the couch and wrap Keeley in the tightest hug you’ve ever given anyone. While you two haven’t had the most one on one time recently, Keeley was still one of your favorite people you’ve befriended in Richmond, and the least deserving of all of the hardships she’s been delt recently. You couldn’t imagine how she was dealing with it all one right after the other.

“I’m okay, really.” she says into your arm.

“Are you?” you ask in disbelief.

“No!” her voice cracks and you hug her even tighter. 

You give her a few minutes to catch her breath, and once you feel her calm down, you reach over and grab one of the glasses of wine on your coffee table to hand her.

“Thank you,” she breathes out, pulling away from your arms and eagerly takes a generous sip. 

“Of course,” you pick up your own glass, and take one of Keeley’s hands in your free one, “Do you want to talk about it? Any of it?”

Keeley shrugs, “I don’t even know what to say. The breakup was awful, but losing my company was a whole other level. It was my dream, you know? But maybe I’m not cut out for it. My whole life I haven’t really known what I was doing, and I thought I finally found my calling, but I don’t know anymore.”

You nod, “I totally get that. I felt so lost before I came here.”

“Yeah?” Keeley’s eyebrows raise, “How do you feel now?”

“So much better,” you admit, “I feel happier than I’ve ever been, and found my passion again.”

“Working as an assistant at a football club?”

“No,” you laugh lightly, “I’ve wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember, but I lost motivation for a while. But since being here, I’ve been writing more than I have in years.”

“Really?” Keeley asks, fully invested in your story despite her own struggles, “What kind of stuff do you write?”

“I’ve written a little of everything. Mysteries. Fantasy. Sci-Fi. But this book I’ve been working on recently has been more of a romance.”

“A book!” Keeley exclaims, “That’s so exciting. Are you going to try to sell it?”

You hesitate. You feel the urge to spill everything about the interview you have in a few days, but know maybe now isn’t the best time with Keeley’s own career bump. 

“Hopefully one day,” you settle on saying, “The point is, though, you can’t give up. If you’re passionate about what you’re doing, you’re meant to be doing it. And I’ve seen you in action, you’re incredible at what you do. Trust me, everythings going to work out.”

“You’re right,” Keeley eventually smiles, “Thank you.”

“Of course,” you give her hand a squeeze, “Have you told Rebecca about this?”

Keeley shakes her head, “Not yet. I’ve been avoiding her actually. I feel kind of embarrassed about it actually.”

“Hey, don’t,” you frown, shaking her hand a bit, “You’ve done nothing wrong. And you know Rebecca is going to be supportive of you no matter what.”

“I know, I just don’t want to let her down.”

“You’re Keeley Jones,” you insist, “You could never let anyone down.”

Keeley nods, before pulling you into another hug. You give her the tightest squeeze, once again recounting how lucky you were to know someone like her. Like you said, Keeley was beyond amazing at her job. She was a PR badass, and made you want to be better at what you did, for the club and in your own writing journey. You had no worries that she’d find her way back after this. 

You nearly have a heart attack, and you’re pretty sure Keeley does too, when you hear rustling at the door. You both pull apart and turn to face the doorway, and you instantly relax when you remember Jamie has a key. However, your calm state only lasts for a few seconds, when you remember that Keeley didn’t know you were with Jamie, let alone at having-a-key-to-each-other’s-apartment- status. Maybe you should have held off on taking that step. 

When Jamie steps through the doorway, he freezes as soon as he clocks you and Keeley on the couch. His wide eyes bounce between you and her. His lips part as if he’s going to say something but nothing comes out. He looks at you again, but you’re also at a loss for words. So, Keeley’s left to break the silence.

“Holy shit!” she shouts, whipping around to face you with her mouth agape, “Are you two together?”

You give her a sheepish smile, “I’m sorry, I wanted to tell you but-”

“No, don’t apologize!” she interrupts, grabbing your hands, “I think it's amazing. So long as Jamie isn’t treating you like that prick you used to date.”

“He’s not.”

“I’m not.”

“And you!” Keeley turns back around to face her ex, “I fucking knew you liked her.”

Jamie frowns, “How the fuck would you know that?”

“You always have these massive heart eyes when you look at her when you’re in the same room,” she explains like it's obvious, “And you sure as shit didn’t look at me like that.” 

Jamie goes from feeling flushed to feeling guilty, but Keeley’s quick to shut that shit down.

“And don’t you dare feel bad about that, Jamie,” she points a finger at him, “I may have just found out, but I know you two are much better suited than we were.”

You and Jamie share small smiles over Keeley’s head. You tug her shoulder so she looks back at you, “I’m still sorry you found out this way. I should have just told you.”

“I promise you it's totally okay,” she smiles, “I’m happy for you, babe.”

Your smile widens, “Do you want to keep talking about things? I can kick him out.”

“Hey!” Jamie interjects and you fix him a look, “Fine, I can go.”

“No, no it's fine. My glass is empty anyway.” Keeley says, starting to stand up.

“Are you sure?” you ask, standing up with her.

“Positive. I’m feeling much better. Thank you for letting me vent.” 

“Anytime. Seriously.” 

Keeley gives you another smile, and a peck on the cheek, before she heads out. In the doorway, she gives Jamie a private smile and a wink. “I’m happy for you, too, Jamie.”

He gives her a soft smile, “Thanks, Keeley.”

The blonde calls out one last goodbye, before she disappears down the stairs and Jamie shuts the door behind her.

“So, that happened.” Jamie states as you dramatically fall back on the couch, making him laugh.

“My heart stopped for a second,” you admit as he plops down beside you.

“Hey, it wasn’t that bad.” Jamie argues, guiding you to lay in his arms as he props his feet up on the coffee table. 

“No, I know,” you sigh, nestling into his chest, “Just not exactly how I pictured her finding out.”

“That’s fair,” he plays with your hair as he debates his next sentence, “Maybe now that Keeley knows, we can start telling the others soon?”

You hope he doesn’t feel your heart rate spike in your close proximity. “Yeah. Definitely soon.” Before the silence can get too loud, you speak up again, “How was Uncle Day? Did Roy like the jersey?”

“He loved it,” you feel Jamie grin into your cheek.

You poke his stomach, “I told you he would.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he huffs, “Phoebe’s gift was better. She gave him this bright, tie-dyed shirt. Red, orange, and yellow for Roy.”

You giggle, “That’s cute.”

“Yeah, I can’t wait to see the bastard wear it.”

You laugh louder.

“Hey, babe?” he asks after a beat, “Who would you say my best friend is?”

You lift your head to look at him curiously, “Is it not Roy?”

“No,” he retorts aggressively with a frown, “Why does everyone think that?”

You shake your head amusedly, “Who would you say then?”

He shrugs, “Isaac.”

“Isaac is not your best friend. Isaac is Colin’s best friend and vice versa.”

Jamie looks around, “Okay fine. Sam then.”

You tilt your head, “Sam is my best friend.”

Jamie jerks his head back to you, “What? I’m not your best friend?”

You scoff, “Okay, multiple people have come up as your best friend before me, but you have to be mine?”

“Uh, yeah.”

You roll your eyes, “Hey, I mean if you want to be my friend, we can be friends.” You start to pull yourself from his arms, but he tugs you back down. 

“Woah, woah, woah,” he presses his head against yours, “You are definitely more than my friend.”

“That’s what I thought,” You kiss him chastely, before snuggling back against him, “But Roy is your best friend.”

“No he aint!”

You manage to keep busy the next few days in order not to hyper fixate on your impending job interview, as well as your continual secret keeping from Jamie. You wonder if he could sense how on edge you’ve been all week, but if he has he hasn’t said anything. Which is good. He had his international game to prep for. Roy had him training extra that week, which gave you time to both write and get your shit figured out. You were more successful doing the former. To make matters worse, your virtual interview was the morning after Jamie’s match. Your plan was to go to a coffee shop far away from both your apartment and the club to take it. While being interviewed in a public space was going to do nothing to quell your anxieties, it would be even worse if you feared Jamie walking in at any moment. 

Right now, though, you couldn’t focus on that, as you were currently seated next to Sam as he and the rest of the team, plus coaches, gathered to view Jamie’s match. Part of you keeping busy this week involved keeping Sam busy, as he struggled with having not gotten asked to play for Nigeria. Apparently, since Sam had turned down playing for his club, billionaire Edwin Akufo blocked him from playing for his home country. So, you did your best to remind your friend it wasn’t because he didn’t have the skill, but it didn’t do much to erase his disappointment. 

You were eager to see Jamie play. It was the first time you were watching one of his games while not being in the stands. He invited you to the game, but you again didn’t want to risk exposing your relationship. He seemed bummed, understandably so, but you promised you could celebrate after. And that sure as hell cheered him up.

Your anticipation for the game must have been noticeable because Ted made a comment about you seeming particularly excited to watch. You laughed it off, loudly proclaiming you were excited to see everyone play, like you had been to watch Dani and Van Damme’s match - until blood was spilled. Ted seemed to buy it, but Sam gave you a knowing smirk and tried not laugh. You just shoved him in the arm and ate your popcorn.

Because the England team was filled with the country’s top footballers, Jamie didn’t start, but your ears perked up when you heard him called up for a substitution. If you weren’t already so proud of him before, you were even prouder when you saw what number he was donning. Twenty-four. Sam’s number. You could cry at his thoughtfulness and you instantly squeeze Sam’s arm, as you and the rest of the team get his attention to see Jamie’s tribute to him. When Sam notices the jersey, you finally get to see his sweet smile again. 

God, they really were your two favorite players on the team. And then some. 

You’re practically waiting at your door for Jamie that night, like a dog waiting for his owner to come home. As soon as you hear footsteps approach, you don’t let him even attempt to unlock the door when you’re swinging it open and pulling him into your arms for a searing kiss.

“Oh, hello,” Jamie mumbles against your lips when you have to break to breathe.

“You were fucking incredible out there,” you whisper, rubbing your thumbs across his cheeks, “I’m so proud of you.”

He gives you a shy smile, “Yeah? Thank you.”

You nod, letting your nose brush against his, “And Sam’s number? That was so sweet. Why didn’t you tell me you were doing that?”

“I wanted it to be a surprise,” he shrugged, “Thought maybe you’d tell him since he’s your best friend apparently.”

You snort before kissing him again. He eagerly reciprocates and doesn’t complain as you start pulling him in the direction of your bedroom. 

“Well, the things I want to do with you tonight are a little less than friendly,” you tease between kisses.

Jamie groans as you two fall into the bed. 

Needless today, you two certainly celebrate his win that night. Many, many times. 

You find yourself laughing between rounds two and three, and Jamie looks at you like you’re crazy as he catches his breath.

“What about that is so funny?”

You shake your head, covering your face with your hand, “Nothing! It’s just when I said we’d celebrate, I pictured making you dinner or maybe us going out for drinks with the rest of the team.”

Jamie smirks, pushing himself up again to lean over you, “Trust me, I'm very okay with what we’re doing now.”

You smile as he kisses you, “So am I. But I want to do something special for you,” you hurry to interrupt before he can say another innuendo, “Something else.”

Jamie gives you his own sweet smile, “You don’t have to do anything for me. But if you want, we can get breakfast tomorrow?”

You frown, remembering your interview, “I actually have breakfast plans with Sam tomorrow. What about dinner? I can make you whatever you want.”

Jamie nods, closing the gap between the two of you, and you can sense another round is about to start. “I’ll eat anything as long as it comes with a side of you.”

You giggle at the cheesiness, “That can be arranged.” And any ounce of guilt that bubbled back up, dissipated as you once again got lost in Jamie. 

You’re relieved when you wake up the next morning to find Jamie still absent from the apartment. He must still be out with Roy, giving you ample time to get ready and prepare for your interview. You frown when you see a text from Jamie on your phone, wishing you a good morning and to tell Sam he says hi. 

You then make a promise to yourself - one you hope you’ll keep - that you’ll tell Jamie about the job opportunity by the end of this week. The guilt was eating you alive, and even if nothing ends up happening, you still want to clear the air. About everything. And then maybe you could work up the nerve to tell everyone else about him. 

Jamie didn’t deserve all the secrets, even if he didn’t realize you were keeping them. 

Jamie definitely knew something was up with you. 

Sure, he didn’t love keeping your relationship a secret still. But he respected you enough to do so, even if it stung a little. 

Normally, you only acted weird when you felt like you were about to be caught together, but recently, you’ve been acting weird all the time. Each time he saw you, he felt like he was catching you doing something illegal, even if you were just on the phone with your dads or hanging out with Sam or Keeley. 

He had this sinking feeling in his gut that you were keeping something from him. What? He couldn’t possibly even begin to guess. But the idea of you not telling him something, coupled with the insecurities he felt because you don’t want people to know about the two of you, had so many negative thoughts filling his head. He knew most were bullshit. Like, there was no way you were seeing someone else. You’d never do that. It was not only completely out of your character, but you wouldn’t put him through something you just went through. But that still didn’t stop his brain from making up terrible scenarios. 

No matter what the reason, he hated the idea of you pulling away from him. It didn’t make any sense. Despite the secrecy, you two were doing amazing. You’ve given him no reason to doubt your feelings for him, and yet here he was questioning everything. 

It also didn’t help that he was also mentally preparing for the match against Man City coming up. It would be the first time he’d be going back since his fallout with his dad last year. He’d been ignoring the impending match until it snuck up on him this week. He’d wanted to talk to you about it, but he didn’t know what to say. All he knew was every time he thought about having to go back to Manchester, his stomach hurt. So he pushed all thoughts away and focused his attention elsewhere, whether that was on football or on you. His resolve in both areas was wearing thin, though.

That’s why after training with Roy this morning, he didn’t go home. He knew you had breakfast plans anyway, so there was no sense going back to your empty flat. Instead, he started jogging around Richmond to clear his thoughts. They always inevitably drift back to you, though. 

He spots a child playing with a dog in the park and thinks about how you two should get one someday. A dog. Definitely just a dog. He passes a flower shop and thinks about how he should get you a bouquet from there. He sees an elderly couple and hopes you two make it that far. He jogs past Ola’s and sees Sam in the window, and thinks about how glad he is that you have a friend like him.

Wait. 

Sam was at his restaurant.

Sam was supposed to be at breakfast with you. 

Jamie slowed to stop as he peered at his teammate through the glass windows. He quickly checks his Apple Watch. It's still early, but maybe you both ate breakfast really fast. But you weren't one to rush a meal.

Jamie’s stomach hurts again.

He knows he shouldn’t go inside. He knows he’s going to get an answer he doesn’t want to hear. He knows he should just go home and talk to you. That would be the smart thing to do. But as much as Jamie’s grown in the last year, he’s still Jamie. So he swings the door open and marches over to Sam. 

His fellow footballer finishes speaking to a few customers when he notices Jamie, and then turns to him with a smile, “Jamie! Congrats on the win yesterday, it was thrilling to watch. I also really appreciated what you did with my number. That was really cool of you.”

Jamie smiles sheepishly, almost letting go of his reason for coming in so hot. “Thanks, mate. And it was nothing. You should have gotten to wear your own number back home.”

Sam’s smile barely falters, “It’s really okay. I know I’ll get the chance one day.”

Jamie nods. Again, he wants to not ruin the moment with his teammate, but he needs to ask.

“Did you see Y/N this morning by any chance?”

Sam’s eyebrows furrow and Jamie’s heart rate increases. “No. Thought you two would have been together all morning, but I guess Jamie Tartt doesn’t have off days,” He teases, none the wiser to Jamie’s concern.

Jamie forces a smile, “Yeah, can’t miss a day of training. Well, I guess I’ll check in with her myself then. Thanks, Sam.”

Sam nods, offering Jamie a table or some food to go, which Jamie declines, eager to get out of the restaurant. Did it always feel so small in there? Why did it feel like the walls were closing in on him? He says goodbye to Sam and hastily exits, jogging a block before stopping to catch his breath. 

You were definitely hiding something from him. You wouldn’t make up plans with Sam for no reason. But what the fuck could it be? The easiest thing to do would be to ask. You couldn’t lie to his face if he called you out about lying to his face. Though, apparently you’ve done it before. 

Even if he wanted to ask you about it, he dreaded hearing whatever the answer was. But how was he supposed to be around you, knowing you blatantly lied to him and could very well be doing it all the time?

Jamie felt like he was going to be sick. 

He couldn’t lose you. Deep down he knew if you didn’t want to be with him, he wouldn’t force you, but he selfishly wasn’t ready to let that happen yet. He had to figure out how to stop that from happening at all. 

And of course, the only way to fix the problem was to avoid it and bury his feelings deep down inside of him. 

He was still Jamie Tartt after all.

A/N: Here we goooo. Alexa play the final count down because we’re almost to the end of the season. And you know what's next - Mom City babeh. I hope you liked this much and any angst didn’t hurt too much because the next chapter is worse can’t wait to know what you think either way!! 

p.s. hope everyone’s okay with me mostly jumping over 309. jamie didn’t have a huge part and didn’t feel right making the colin storyline about the reader, but wanted to give him a little nod anyway, because we love colin!! and hope to find places to incorporate him more in future chapters or missing scenes!

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