#there should be more ted lasso g/t in life

[cloudynyims]

I just wanted to say thank you (2/2)

Here's part 2! it's longer than the first part but again, I couldn't stop writing. It's kinda a problem lol. Part one is here!

     Oh, how badly Roy wanted to kick Jamie’s ass.

     He wasn’t oblivious. When the little being was in Jamie’s grasp, he could tell that they were beyond terrified. Who knows what Jamie had done to them before he arrived? All he knew was that (1. they were terrified and (2. he seemed to be no exception. They were as scared of him as they were of Jamie. 

     He went about the next few days as normal. Although, his eyes scanned the baseboards for any sight of that tiny person. He found himself lingering a bit longer in the locker room after practice, wondering if they'd be around. Soon enough, he was arriving a little early every day, hoping to catch a glimpse of them. 

     Roy would deny it, but he was curious if that little person was alright. His thoughts went to them more than he’d like to admit. Even a few of his teammates were starting to notice that he seemed distracted during practice. He couldn’t shake his concern for them. He knew it would raise suspicion if he searched for them outright, so he kept it subtle. 

     A few days of this went by and Roy wasn’t having much luck. The only things he had seen were a few cockroaches scuttling around. He was beginning to lose hope in his search. Was it time to call it quits? They could have left. Maybe that would be best for them. If he was in their shoes, he wouldn’t be itching to come back to a place with towering giants either. 

     Even still, he wanted to see them again, one more time. Just to confirm that they were okay. Just to make sure they weren’t suffering from anything that Jamie might have put them through. But would they even accept comfort from him? To them, he was just another huge giant with unknown intentions. Roy thought about how it might appear from their perspective if he did search for them outright. Very intimidating, he concluded.

     During this time, y/n was just hiding out in the walls. Why they hadn’t left yet, they didn’t know. Their confidence had been shattered ever since the dreaded encounter. They were too paranoid to go out in the open during the day at all. At night, when they knew there was no one in the building, they still wouldn’t venture out, opting to play it safe. At this point, they were low on food and water, but getting by. 

     The feeling of being unwillingly held was ingrained in their memory. That was definitely the worst part. Sometimes, they could vividly imagine the feeling of Jamie’s fingers around their torso. Even thinking about it made them shudder. The uncomfortable heat accompanied by the feeling of being completely powerless was not something they liked to remember. 

     Oddly enough, they did think about one part of that whole situation more than anything else: when Roy walked in. Yes, it was petrifying in the moment. However, the more they relived the memory, the more they realized that Roy didn’t do anything to hurt them. If anything he… helped them.

     y/n was conflicted. They didn’t want to believe it. Roy was a human! He was just like any other. He was tall, imposing, gruff, and scary. ‘If he is all of those things, then why did help me? Why did he tell Jamie to quit messing with me? Roy seemed pretty upset with him. But those two argue all the time! He could be trying to get at Jamie, and it wasn’t about me at all,’ y/n pondered to themselves.

     Then again, Roy was a well-respected teammate. They could tell that even some of the other players would get intimidated by him from time to time. And yet, they still all trusted him as their captain. y/n bit the inside of their cheek in thought. Maybe he was different?

     Just as Roy started to quell his search, y/n occasionally started to peek out of the walls to observe him. There was a strange sense of gratitude that had welled inside them. They thought that if they got a better feel for his personality, they would be able to decide whether or not to act on that gratitude and approach him. 

     It sounded ridiculous out loud, but all they wanted to say was thank you. If Roy didn’t show up when he did, they had no idea how far Jamie would have taken his bit. That was a fact that y/n couldn’t erase from their mind. They wanted to thank Roy, but they had to make sure he wasn’t secretly a horrible person.

     For a few days, y/n silently watched Roy while keeping out of sight. They began to see that even though he was gruff, intimidating, and cussed quite a lot, he did hold genuine care and respect for his teammates. That gratitude in their chest bubbled up a bit more. Maybe they would thank him. This realization was what they needed to finally muster up the courage to approach him on their terms. 

     Exactly one week after their first meeting, Roy was the last to leave the locker room, again. He had been doing this for a couple days now, almost as if he was waiting for them. y/n quickly shook the thought out of their head. There was no way that was the case. It had to be a coincidence.

     A wave of deja vu hit them as they peeked out of their hole once again. Were they really about to do this? Willingly approach a giant who could easily crush them? They cast another glance at Roy. He was sitting there on a bench, slowly taking off his boots. This was their chance. Taking a deep breath, y/n emerged from the hole and made their way over to Roy.

     The walk seemed longer than when they last did it. Perhaps it was the looming trepidation in the back of their mind. Or maybe it was the giant figure of Roy that they were getting closer and closer to. He seemed to have something on his mind, as he wasn't looking at anything. Staring straight ahead with a blank expression, Roy let his fingers mindlessly untie his boots, seeming completely unaware of anything else around him.

     Finally, y/n reached the base of the bench that Roy was sitting on. They thought about calling him from here but knew their voice couldn’t carry that far. After another deep breath, they threw their hook up to catch on the bench so that they could climb up. It landed with a little clink, and their head snapped up to see if Roy heard the noise. There was no reaction from him.

     Y/n swallowed nervously as they looked, really looked, at Roy from where they were. They had forgotten how imposing this angle was. Shaking off their nerves, they began to climb the bench. Their hands were a little sweaty from nerves, so they slipped a few times while climbing the string. Thankfully, they made it to the top without too much trouble. 

     Now came the hard part: getting his attention. Again, y/n contemplated talking to him, but suddenly their voice didn’t want to cooperate. Their arms began to fidget, picking at loose threads on their homemade shirt. They were trembling a little bit as well. Their borrower instincts were screaming at them to run away and get as far away from this giant as possible. But they couldn’t just walk away. Not when they were so close.

     Y/n lifted a trembling hand to tap on Roy’s leg. They hesitated. ‘Am I really about to do this?’ They thought to themselves. They moved Their hand closer, then pulled it back again. ‘What am I thinking? I should get out of here, right now.’ But they didn’t move. Steeling themselves to try again, they raised their hand once more. Keeping their eyes on Roy the entire time, they gingerly tapped his leg. Surprisingly, he looked down at them, a twinkle of curiosity in his eyes. Y/n tensed.

     Now, Roy had known they were there almost the entire time since they climbed the bench. He heard the little noise from their hook and initially brushed it off. That was until he could sense he wasn’t in the room alone. He stole a quick glance and watched as they nimbly climbed the bench. He could tell that even being around him was hard for them. Out of his peripherals, he could see their indecision when it came to approaching him. But that made him curious. What was so important to them that they were willing to approach someone that terrified them?

     Rather than starting the conversation before they were ready, he let them build up the courage to interact with him. Eventually, they did, with a tap so light he wouldn’t have felt it if he didn’t know they were there. “Ah, it’s you,” Roy said. He took note of how they flinched back at his voice. His words came out a bit gruffer than intended. “Did you need something?” he asked, his voice softer this time.

     It was so surreal to actually have a giant’s attention. Roy’s gaze was still intense, but also gentler than before. y/n closed their eyes because it was easier for them to feel composed when they couldn’t see the giant in front of them. After a few seconds, they found their words. “I wanted to… I mean… I came here to… to tell you—"

     “I know this is the last thing you want me to say, but I can’t hear you very well,” Roy gently interrupted. "Do you mind if I move somewhere I can hear you better?”

     Y/n opened their eyes and looked up at Roy, their expression quizzical. He could do whatever he liked and they wouldn’t be able to stop him. Even so, he was still asking if they were okay with it. His concern was new, a welcome change from how Jamie treated them. Still slightly confused as to why he was asking, they nodded. 

     Roy stood up, not missing Y/n's little step back. He then sat down on the floor in front of them and rested his head on the bench. It was still a little close for their comfort, but not overbearing. They shuffled back a little more and took in his face up close. Everything about him was so big to them. It was… fascinating in a way.

     “Well?” Roy said, snapping y/n out of their trance. They were a little embarrassed to have been caught staring. 

     “Oh! Right, sorry,” Y/n paused, regrouping their thoughts. Although still his usual self, they noticed that Roy seemed more patient than usual. “What I was saying was that… I wanted to thank you. You know, for last week.” y/n shifted their weight from foot to foot, at a loss for what to say next. “You didn’t have to help me, but you still did. I’m very… grateful for that. So… thanks.” They were looking everywhere except at him, wondering how he’d take their words.

     Roy let a soft exhale out of his nose. “I appreciate it, little one, but you don’t have to thank me for that,” he said calmly. “Jamie was treating you like shit, which wasn’t okay. As captain of the team, one of my responsibilities is keeping pricks like him in line. He had no right to be messing with you like that.” 

     His concern took them aback. “It’s okay, really,” y/n mumbled. “People act like that towards borr— people like me all the time.” They barely caught their mistake.

     “That doesn’t make it fucking okay. Just because you’re tiny doesn’t mean you deserve any less respect,” Roy replied. There was a brief silence after that as Y/n processed his words. They were comforting, sure. No one had ever said that to them before. But the delivery was slightly off. His distaste for Jamie’s actions was made clear through his tone, and y/n found themselves tensing up subconsciously. Roy noticed this as well and sighed.

     “I’m sorry for scaring you. I’m sorry if Jamie scared you as well, since that ass won't apologize for himself,” Roy said, his voice returning to the soft timbre it had been at previously. 

     “It’s okay. I know you didn’t mean to.” The words came out before y/n even knew what they were saying. Slowly, they were starting to feel more comfortable around him. 

     “You let me know if he gives you any more trouble, okay? I’ll beat the shit out of him for you,” Roy said. y/n nodded understandingly when they felt a light pressure on their head. Looking up, they found that Roy was gently ruffling their hair with his finger. They cracked a smile, then stifled a laugh. Roy managed to hide a smile of his own. Seeing them more at ease made him happier than he’d care to admit. 

     “Thank you…” y/n paused, giving him the chance to tell them his name. Of course, they knew his name already. They were just being polite and giving him the chance to ask for their name.

     “Roy. Roy Kent. And you are?” 

     “y/n.”

     He nodded. ��Nice to meet you, and you’re welcome, y/n,” Roy said. There was a moment of awkward silence where neither of them knew what to say. 

     Finally, y/n spoke up, “I… I should really get going. It was nice meeting you.” With another small smile, they walked back over to their hook. “Bye, Roy,” they said before climbing back down the string. They couldn’t believe it. They had a full conversation with a human and he didn’t do anything to disrespect them. He treated them like a real person! The smile they had didn’t want to leave their face.

     “Cheers,” he called after them. y/n reached the floor and turned back around, giving Roy a little wave before jogging back toward the wall. Only when they had turned around and started leaving did Roy stand up. He was glad that he didn’t scare them too much. Hell, they were even laughing. He smiled to himself and began collecting his belongings as they ran off. 

     They were both thinking the same thing as they went their separate ways: “I wonder if we’ll see each other again."

Endings are HARD I had like 9 different ways this could've gone in my head. Hopefully you enjoyed I haven't written creatively in a while :)

[ladyaj-13]

LadyAJ’s 2023 Fics

This year I wrote 16 new stories (and one new chapter on an old one!) across five fandoms - One Direction, Endeavour, Kingsman, The Eagle and new-to-me Ted Lasso. Details below, I hope you’ll check some out - I like to think there’s a bit of something for everyone. 

One Direction

Bloom - T, 28k, Louis/Liam

Do you like historical AUs? Do you like awesome art by @whatagreatproblemtohave? Then you’ll like this, written for the One Direction Big Bang.

In early 1970s Oxford, Detective Sergeant Louis Tomlinson has to deal with the dual pressures of a case that hits too close to home, and the arrival of new colleague Liam Payne. Payne is both the bane of his existence and, uh... dangerous. Very dangerous. His eyes, that is. His lips. The way he stands.

A story of rain and cobblestones, cigarettes, and repression. And the sunshine after the storm.

In Shining Armour of Trackie and Trainers - T, 9k, Louis/Harry

Because who wouldn’t love white knight Louis coming to their rescue?

Online dating isn't exactly working for Harry. In fact, it couldn't really be going much worse. But then the door of the bar opens, and the pack of friends walking in parts and - that’s Louis Tomlinson.

Louis fucking Tomlinson.

Pageant Material - G, 6k, Louis/Zayn

Watch me throw Miss Congeniality and Kacey Musgraves together, shake it up, and give it a Zouis twist. Written for the Zouis fest.

Louis flicks a nearby switch, lighting the bulbs around his mirror in a soft glow. The buttery yellow catches on the edges of his cheekbones, sharpening the dip. He looks more grown up this year. Some of his baby fat has melted away, and he sucks in his cheeks to see what he might look like by twenty five if this pattern continues. Then he crosses his eyes and sticks out his tongue.

Or, the Zouis teen beauty pageant AU.

The Way to My Heart - T, 6k, Louis/Harry

Fluffy, funny AU Larry with lots of Nouis friendship on the side. Written for the a/b/o fest.

Louis' having a bit of a dry spell, until he bumps into an attractive alpha in the supermarket and leaves with his number. It was a hard bump. Very... muscular.

The only problem is, said alpha asks Louis to cook for him - which is not exactly his skill set.

Feeling Feline - T, 4k, Louis/Niall

Nouis, my beloved, with shelter-worker!Niall and magical cat transformations. Written for the Louis rare pair fest.

“I’m telling you,” drifts through the cracked door, and Louis’ ears prick, twitching with interest. “There’s something wrong with that cat.”

“Have you talked to Liam?” asks another voice, worried. Louis thinks it’s the tall one with curly hair. Taller one. They’re all tall when you’re ten inches high.

“Not medically wrong,” the blond one says. “But I swear, and I know this sounds nuts, but I don’t think he’s a cat?”

Fine Line - G, 1k, Louis/Nick Grimshaw

It’s present day, it’s canon compliant, it’s just long enough to read while waiting for the bus assuming it’s not got stuck in traffic.

Telling his family was always going to be a big deal, but doing it alone was a sacrifice he could make.

He never thought they’d fall about laughing.

In The Dark - T, 666, Gen

Choose your own character in this spooky snippet written for the trick or treat fest.

It’s the dreams.

He’d be fine without the dreams… suggesting things. If he could face all this - whatever this is - with a clear, rested mind.

Bound - G, 619, Liam/Zayn

Vampire AU? Check. 

Months should pass like hours for a vampire, but to Zayn they’ve felt endless. Now, finally, it has come. The day he takes his consort.

Endeavour

Tread Carefully into my Life - T, 29k, WIP, Morse/Jakes

See? I told you it’s not abandoned. Maybe 2024 is the year I finally finish this canon rewrite where Jakes stayed - in the meantime, enjoy nearly thirty thousand words of their on/off up/down shenanigans!

He can't help the way his eyes drift across the room, to Morse in his shirtsleeves, arms crossed across his body. It’s a defensive posture, which is no surprise, but otherwise he looks collected. Calm. Like facing down man eating beasts is all part of the job, and despite the evidence of today, it most certainly is not part of the job.

Tigers. For the love of God, give him an axe murderer any day.

Stepping Out - G, 9k, Morse/Jakes/Joan

Established polyamory with the Oxford disaster trio. Jakes didn’t leave.

“You know what I haven't done in ages?” Joan asks, punctuating her question by flinging her legs up and leaning dramatically backwards against the sofa arm. Peter almost spills his tea. “Gone dancing. We should go.”

Kindred - G, 2k, Gen

Ohhh series nine. Pre-slash Morse/Sam if you really squint.

Sam Thursday, Morse, and the power of orange juice.

Offcuts - G, 2k, Morse/Jakes/Joan

With this final instalment, the series is complete. As a whole it's almost 32k, so if you like Endeavour and polyamorous relationships, set aside a Saturday and dive in.

Snapshot scenes of life with the trio.

Adding it Up - G, 887, Morse/Jakes

Let’s return to series three, because Jakes.

Fred’s been a copper for a long time. It’s in his bones at this point, a habit so engrained he can’t turn it off. Like Morse with his beer and Jakes with his cigarettes, Fred’s addiction is piecing things together. Even when he’d rather not.

Ted Lasso

Would You Rather - G, 1k - Colin & Jamie, Roy/Jamie

It had to happen! Diving into a new fandom is always a pleasure.

"I’m talking about percentages. Like, yeah, you’re gay. So maybe you’re at like, eighty, ninety per cent. But if I say who’d you rather fuck out of Ms Welton, Keeley and Maisie from the canteen, you know what you’d say, right?”

Colin is beginning to think Jamie doesn’t know what gay is. "Erm, no."

Squeegee - M, 525 - Roy/Jamie

Short and snappy ;)

Jamie’s beautifully vocal in bed, but long, pitchy squeaking is new.

Kingsman

The Honeypots - T, 5k - Eggsy/Harry

Partial AU with undercover, honeypot spy shenanigans and obliviousness? I wrote it for a reason. I mean, it’s right up my street.

Eggsy is MI6. Harry is Kingsman. They have each been tasked to seduce a suspected rival intelligence agent.

The intelligence part may be overselling it.

The Eagle of the Ninth

Winter Sunlight - G, 1k, Marcus/Esca

I think writing a fluffy, happy gay farmers fic is actually a requirement of this fandom. Here’s my offering.

“How is it,” a familiar voice mutters drowsily, muffled by the drape of skins and fur, “that after all these years, you still can’t manage a proper lie in?”