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triptuckers · 9 days ago

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I'll chain myself to your soul - robert keating x reader

Request: nope Pairing: robert keating (bobby skeetz) x art student!reader Summary: bobby thinks you're too busy to visit him on tour and he's trying not to let it show how upset he is about it Warnings: swearing (ofc), bobby being upset :(, smoking (the band & reader), mentions of sexual themes but nothing actually happens, uhhh mentions of hickeys?? mentions of alcohol. other than that nothing but my undying love for bobby Word count: 5.1K (I got a little carried away...) A/N: inhaler is the only thing on my mind these days what was I supposed to do? not write about them? also keep in mind I know quite literally nothing about them just that they're irish and make banger music. (and bobby is a LOVERBOY. fight me on this) enjoy!

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'you really can't make it?'

bobby's voice pulls you from your concentration. you look up from your sketchbook at him. it's the day before he has to leave for tour, and the two of you decided to relax rather than plan a bunch of activities.

'yeah, sorry, love.' you say.

he walks over to you and sits down next to you, resting his head on your shoulder.

'that's really nice.' he says, looking at your sketchbook.

'you think so? they're just warmups.'

'you say that every time you make something that looks fucking amazing.'

you chuckle at his words, turning your head slightly so you can kiss his forehead.

bobby is silent as he watches you draw. they really were just warmups. you were sketching the empty plates that were on the table, you hadn't cleaned up after dinner yet. there was a bigger piece you needed to work on. and from experience, you knew you'd get less frustrated if you warmed up before you started with that.

next to you, bobby mumbles something you can't quite hear, his breath tickling the exposed skin of your neck.

'what was that?' you say.

'I'm gonna miss this.'

'watching me draw?'

'yeah. you. and us.'

you put your pencil down and turn, taking bobby's face in both of your hands.

'we've talked about this, my love. we'll call and text, like we did the last tour. you'll play with the guys and have an excellent time. and I'll be waiting for you at the airport when you get back.'

bobby smiles at you but his eyes are still a bit sad. 'I know. you won't get rid of me that easily. but calling isn't the same and you know it.'

it was breaking your heart, seeing him like this. knowing you had a flight booked. but it would be so worth it in a few weeks. you just had to pretend for a little while longer. and hope everyone else would keep their mouth shut about it.

you lean in and softly kiss his cheek.

'want to watch a movie? I can always work on this later. and you'll be leaving tomorrow, so we'd better make the most out of these last few hours together.'

bobby's eyes light up. you knew it would do the trick. he loves cuddling with you. and a movie is the perfect excuse to do so.

while he picks a movie from the pile of dvd's you own, you change into a more comfortable outfit. it's a bit hard to navigate your way back to the couch. being an art student and living in a tiny flat isn't the best combination; there's piles of sketchbooks and art supplies everywhere.

and it doesn't help bobby decided to stay with you until he needed to go to the airport, so his bags are also added to it all.

while trying to get to the couch, you trip over one of your own bags and nearly face plant onto the floor, if it wasn't for bobby.

he's s quick to catch you, his hands on your hips to steady you. you smile gratefully at him. as you settle on the couch, you look at the tv to see which movie he picked.

when the familiar intro starts, you narrow your eyes as you look at your boyfriend.

'did you purposely pick one of my favourites?' you say.

bobby shrugs. 'I don't know what you're talking about. I fucking love legally blonde.'

you laugh at his response and cuddle closer to him.

as you watch the movie, you can tell bobby's not really paying attention to it. his fingers are lazily drawing patters on your leg, and he keeps pulling you closer.

you don't mind. you've seen the movie a thousand times, and you'd much rather focus on bobby.

when the movie ends, it's getting late. you're very comfortable on the couch in bobby's arms, but you know he has an early flight tomorrow. so instead of snuggling closer to him, like you normally would, you move to get up.

bobby makes a noise of protest, grabbing your wrist and pulling you back down on the couch.

'bobby.' you laugh. 'you have an early flight tomorrow. come on, we can cuddle in bed.'

you watch as he thinks it over, seems to agree with it in his head, and then nudges you to get up again. the second you stand up and walk towards the bedroom, you feel bobby taking your hand and interlacing his fingers with yours.

he always did get more of a lovesick puppy when he knew had to leave for longer periods of time. not that you minded. but it was getting harder and harder to keep this secret, knowing how upset bobby was about not seeing you for so long. if only he knew.

while the two of you get ready for bed, you notice how bobby is constantly touching you. a hand on your waist, leaning against your side, fingers skimming your lower back as he walks past you to reach for something.

he even sits on the edge of the sink as you finish your skincare for the night. only when you put all of your products away and bobby knows you'll follow him, does he go into your bedroom.

even though neither of you didn't really do anything tiresome that day, you're quick to fall asleep. maybe it's the fact you know your alarm is set for very, very early. or maybe it's just the fact you always sleep better when bobby's next to you.

it feels like only a couple of hours later, when the sound of your alarm wakes you. you roll over - as much as you can, with bobby laying practically on top of you - and hit the snooze button.

you're very comfortable, wrapped up in bobby's arms. but after snoozing your alarm for a third time, you really have to get up.

'bobby.' you say softly, nudging him. 'we gotta get up.'

'five more minutes.' he mumbles.

'we already had five more minutes half an hour ago. we really have to get up, or you'll be late.' you say.

bobby sighs, opening his eyes. you smile at him, leaning in to softly kiss him.

'horrible fucking morning breath, love.' he says as he frowns and pulls away.

you let out an offended noise and move away from him, but bobby reaches out and pulls you back. he smiles at you before kissing you again.

'you're lucky I like you.' he says. 'even when your breath stinks.'

'fuck off. as a punishment, you're the one who has to make us both breakfast now.' you say.

'oh no, what a horrible thing to do.' says bobby sarcastically.

'come on, get up. for real.' you say, pushing him towards the end of the bed.

bobby moves back to you yet again, but you're quicker. you reach out and press your cold feet against his bare legs.

'fuck, love!' he exclaims. 'mean.'

'necessary.'

'you love tormenting me, don't you?'

'it's what made you fall in love with me.'

bobby smiles, steals another quick kiss, before going into the kitchen to finally make you breakfast.

like every time one of you has to leave early, time seems to go by twice as fast as usual. before you know it, bobby's bags and suitcase have been loaded into your tiny car and you're off to meet the others at the airport.

once you've unloaded all of the bags, you say hi to the others. they're all buzzing about tour and you're glad to see bobby is excited as well. he was pretty quiet throughout the drive, and you knew it was because he was in his head thinking about being away from you.

haley, eli's girlfriend, walks up to you.

'hi!' you say.

'hey you!' she says, hugging you tight.

'how are you doing?'

'good! excited about joining them for tour.'

the two of you look at the guys messing around, their happiness is infectious.

'bobby looks happy.' says haley.

'he does now, but he's been so upset about leaving.' you say. 'I felt awful lying to him for so long.'

'well, you're not in the clear yet. just a little while longer.'

'I know, I know. wish time would go faster though. and you all better keep your mouth shut about this, or all my lying and hiding my plane ticket would have been all for nothing.'

haley pretends to zip up her mouth and throws away the imaginary key, making you laugh. at the same moment, eli walks up to you.

'are you all ready, darling?' he says to haley. 'we have to board the plane soon and still need to get through security.'

'all ready! let's get this show on the road.' she says, winking at you.

the two of them join the others just as bobby approaches you. he smiles at you, but you can tell he's still sad. you reach out and wrap your arms around his waist, looking up at him and smiling brightly.

'you're gonna have the best time.' you say.

bobby nods and pulls you in for a hug, burying his face in your neck.

'I'm gonna miss you.' you say softly.

you pull back slightly so you can look him in the eye. 'call me when you land, okay?'

'I will. send me some of your sketches, yeah?'

you nod, then pull him in for a soft kiss. you press your forehead against his when you break apart.

'I love you.' you say softly.

'love you too, darling. so fucking much.' he says.

'oi!'

you look over bobby's shoulder, glaring at eli for ruining the sweet moment you were having with your boyfriend.

'come on, loverboy, we can't tour without a bassist.' says eli.

bobby rolls his eyes as you chuckle at eli's words.

'you heard him, loverboy.' you say.

bobby's eyes snap up to your face. 'don't ever fucking call me that.'

you laugh and pull him in for another kiss.

'go get 'em, love.' you say. 'have fun out there.'

'I'll call you the second we land.' bobby promises, kissing you one last time before joining the others.

you wave until you can't see them anymore. then you start to head back to your car to drive home.

even though you knew you'd see bobby again soon, it's hard. your flat isn't that big, but it sure can feel enormous when bobby isn't in it.

and even though you knew you'd see him again soon, time goes by painfully slow.

you didn't lie about everything to bobby, you do have classes. just not nearly as much has he thinks, and it was hard not to call when you were "in class".

once assessment days have passed and the new project is assigned, you're getting closer and closer to seeing bobby again. the current assignment you're working on is simply filling a sketchbook with a consistent theme, experimenting with different techniques and materials.

and if you happened to fill every page of the sketchbook with illustrations of bobby, they really couldn't disapprove. not if "traveling with my rockstar boyfriend" was your theme. and, you told yourself, surely your teachers would understand if it required you to study your subject up close, right? no big deal.

as you're sitting in your last class of the week, you're practically counting down the seconds until it's over. after this class, you'd finally travel to see bobby.

they've been touring for about two weeks now, even though it feels like eternity. of course, you'd called and texted with bobby whenever you could. the more time he spent on the road, the more he talked about tour. you loved to see him like that, the way his eyes sparkled when he told you about the most recent show they played.

you're so caught up in your thoughts, you nearly miss it when your teacher dismisses you all. a smile forms on your face as you quickly shove everything in your bag, then head to the door while waving at your friends.

you send bobby a text, saying class is over and you would love to call, but you had back to back meetings about some project. which was, again, a total lie. you had a flight booked and you needed to get to the airport as fast as possible.

the trip home takes half as much time as usually, and since you'd already packed your suitcase, all you have to do is pack a few things you still needed that morning. you throw on a different sweater to be more comfortable, text haley your updated schedule, and you're off.

you really love haley. she's become your best friend ever since you started hanging out with the guys. she's been with eli for ages, and taught you some very good strategies to keep the media coverage to a minimum when you're going out with bobby.

and it's nice to share with her what it's like when your boyfriend is a rockstar traveling the world, and you're a student. even though you and haley do very different studies - she's an english culture and literature major - you often get together for study dates, even when bobby and eli aren't on tour.

once you arrive at the airport, you get hit with a wave of deja vu. only two weeks ago, you were here saying goodbye to bobby. now you're about to board a flight that takes you straight to him.

you're an exciting mess while waiting for your plane. you really missed bobby whenever he was away. especially given you always struggle to fall asleep on your own, ever since you and bobby started spending more and more time with each other.

while the trip to the airport and the waiting at the gate takes forever, the fight itself seems to go by in a blink. you tried to pass the time by sketching in your sketchbook, but you're too excited about seeing bobby again.

as you wait for your suitcase to arrive at the baggage claim, you text haley. she tells you she's already waiting at the park and ride, and she assures you bobby doesn't suspect a thing. she also made sure the others kept their mouth shut about it. and she updates you on what she and eli have been up to in between shows. haley also hints about something she simply cannot tell you over the phone, which makes you excited to see her.

after waiting nearly twenty minutes on your suitcase, you finally spot the bright yellow suitcase you'd covered in stickers. you pull it out - which doesn't go as smoothly as you'd hoped - and follow the signs to the park and ride.

when you get outside, you quickly scan the parked cars. then you spot a familiar brunette in a white coat and a dark blue scarf. just as haley spots you, she waves excitedly at you with both of her hands, rushing to meet you.

'hi!' you squeal, hugging her.

'hi!' she says. 'how was your flight?'

'longer than it should be. I'm so ready to see bobby.' you say.

'come on, they're dying to see you!' says haley, pulling you towards the car.

'whose car is this?' you ask, as you put your suitcase in the back.

haley shrugs. 'someone from the crew. don't worry, I asked nicely.'

the two of you get in the car, taking off your coats and scarves. you pull out your phone to shoot bobby a quick text about the imaginary class you had today, telling him you'd call after you'd run some errands. as usually, he instantly replies, telling you he can't wait for your call. as haley pulls out of the park and ride, the radio starts playing some old 80's rock song.

you look at haley to ask her how long the drive to the venue will take, but you're distracted.

'haley.' you say. 'what's that in your neck?'

immediately, her hand flies to her neck, covering the very obvious trail of hickeys there.

'fuck!' she says. 'my concealer must have worn off.'

you watch as she flicks open the mirror above her to study the bruises on her neck.

'is this what you couldn't tell me over the phone? haley, the amount of weird and also very explicit shit we've texted each other, and you couldn't text me eli basically assaulted your neck?' you laugh.

'no, that's not what I was going to tell you.' she says. 'well, it's part of it. but not the big thing I was going to tell you.'

'we're calling it a big thing now?'

'yes. the hickeys, well, I got those after I said yes to eli asking me if I want to move in with him when we get back from tour.'

'haley! shut the fuck up!' you say, grabbing her arm.

'watch out, I'm fucking driving!'

'sorry, sorry!' you quickly let go of her arm. 'haley! that's huge!'

'I know right! he asked me after the paris show. I mean, it was so fucking cliché he asked me in paris.'

'don't act like you didn't love it.'

'of course I did! remember that conversation we had about if the bunks on the new bus would fit two people? well, they do. not super comfortably, but it helps eli isn't that tall. with you and bobby though, it might be a tight squeeze.'

'oh no, we'll fit in there.'

haley looks at you, eyebrows raised.

'what? I've been on tour before, did you think I'd sleep in a different bunk?'

the two of you spend the next twenty minutes chatting non-stop. catching each other up on everything you didn't text, and going over everything you did text each other once more. you'd never run out of things to talk about with haley.

before you know it, you arrive at the venue. haley calls eli to ask him where they are. he makes a big deal out of explicitly asking her how the stores she checked out were - what you assume was the cover story they told bobby to explain why haley would drive off.

after confirming they're outside by the busses having a smoke, you get out of the car and follow haley as she leads you towards them.

'you nervous?' she asks you.

'more nervous in an excited way, you know? even though it's only been two weeks.' you say.

'you and I both know two weeks can feel like an eternity.' she says.

you spot the busses in the distance and a smile forms on your face when you hear eli's laughter. you push haley to go first, so it wouldn't give you away immediately.

when you hear the guys greet her, you wait a few seconds to follow her.

ryan is the first to see you, smiling at you but keeping his reaction very subtle, so it's not obvious right away. he nudges josh, who also smiles at you.

haley says something to eli, who turns around to catch your eye.

and then, finally, bobby spots you.

'oh shit.'

in a matter of seconds, he's dropped his cigarette and made his way over to you. bobby wraps his arms around you and lifts you off of your feet.

you laugh into his neck, inhaling his familiar scent mixed with cigarette smoke.

when bobby puts you down, he's got a huge smile on his face. you smile back at him just as he leans down to kiss you.

after not seeing him for a while, it's the best feeling ever. you shuffle your feet closer, wanting to be even more near him. bobby is all too happy to return the favour, pulling you closer. you're so caught up in this, in him, you don't even register haley and the guys whistling at you and cheering you on.

bobby pulls away and you instantly miss the feeling of his lips on yours.

'you're supposed to be in class.' he says. 'what the fuck are you doing here?'

you laugh, pressing a quick kiss to his jaw. 'I might have lied about that.'

'what about your project? that new assignment?'

'I didn't totally lie about that, I just decided to pick you as my subject.'

bobby smiles at you. 'I really fucking love you, you know that right?' he says.

'yeah, I know it. I love you too.' you say.

'oh, I know you do. otherwise you wouldn't have flown across europe to surprise me.'

'is it a good surprise?'

'the fucking best, love.'

bobby kisses you once more before finally allowing the others to say their hellos.

after a lot of smiles and hugs, you catch up with them while sharing a cigarette. you can feel bobby's hand on your waist the entire time, and you revel in the feeling of it.

way too soon, the guys have to go inside again to start prepping for the show tonight. haley catches you up on all the things that happened while you weren't there, and the two of you watch the soundcheck.

knowing you wouldn't be of much help right before the show, you decided to already head to your spot early with haley. but not before saying good luck to bobby, of course.

he smiles as he walks up to you. you can't help but to check him out from head to toe. you always loved seeing him in his stage outfit right before a show.

'like what you see?' says bobby, leaning in to kiss your cheek.

'very much.' you say, looking up at him. 'are you free tonight?'

bobby chuckles at your words. 'trying to pick me up, are you?'

you shrug. 'figured I could try.'

'I'm flattered, but I have a girlfriend.'

'really? she's a lucky girl.'

bobby laughs softly and kisses you.

'we were thinking of all going out for drinks after the show. if you're not too tired after your flight.' he says.

'sleep can wait. I just want to spend as time with you as much as I can.'

'drinks it is then.'

'I'm gonna head to the balcony with haley, make sure we're not in the way or anything.' you say.

'get a good view.' says bobby, winking at you.

'I always have a good view when I'm looking at you.' you say. you lean in and kiss him softly. 'have fun tonight, I'll come find you after the show.'

with one final kiss, you leave bobby to prepare for the show with the boys, finding haley.

the two of you head up to the balcony that's reserved for friends and family. a few of the crew members are there as well. you chat with haley while waiting for the show to begin.

it's a lot of fun watching everyone enter the venue. the support act is very nice and you're pleased to see the crowd loves it as well. and then it's finally time for inhaler to take the stage.

no matter how many of their shows you see, and no matter if you're backstage, in the crowd or up on the balcony like tonight, it's always amazing.

you love watching bobby on stage. his eyes are hidden behind a pair of sunglasses, but you can feel his eyes on you during the show.

you and haley dance and sing your heart out, and a couple of minutes before the show ends, you make your way backstage. you're watching them from afar, putting their last bit of energy in the end of the set.

as much as you love watching the show, nothing beats the sight of a sweaty, smiley bobby running up to you and wrapping you up in a big hug. you don't care that the sweat makes his hair stick to the skin of your neck, you just pull him close.

'you did so good! hell of a fucking show!' you say.

bobby just smiles at you and leans in to kiss you hard, his hands on your waist to steady you. you laugh as he kisses your cheek and hugs you again.

'we'll clean up and get changed, then we're going to find a pub, yeah?' he says.

'sounds good to me. I'll go outside to have a smoke.' you say.

bobby presses another quick kiss to your lips, then he takes off after the others.

haley walks up to you just as you head to the backdoor. you pull out a cigarette and smirk as she comes closer.

'the sweat has washed your concealer off.' you say, opening the door and welcoming the cool evening air.

'fucking hell.' you hear haley say behind you.

you light your cigarette as you watch haley pull out her concealer and her phone to hide the hickeys under a new layer of makeup.

'they're really on fucking fire with this tour aren't they?' you say, taking a drag from your cigarette.

'yeah, they are. they feel really good about it as well.' says haley.

'it'll definitely be one to remember.' you say. 'bobby said they'd clean up and get changed, then we're going to the pub.'

haley looks at you. 'you guys aren't staying behind?'

'no? why would we?'

'because you haven't seen him in over two weeks. and I know you. you two are obsessed with each other.'

'obsessed is a big word. in love? definitely. wildly. but I wouldn't say obsessed.'

'I saw the way you looked at him when he came off stage after the show.'

'and?'

'girl! you looked like you'd climb him like a tree right there and then!'

you laugh out loud, doubling over and clutching your stomach. haley takes the cigarette from you so you don't burn the ends of your hair (which - yes - has happened before).

when you can finally breathe normally again, she hands your cigarette back to you.

'okay, you've got a point there.' you say. 'but it's not just bobby I haven't seen in two weeks. it's all of you as well.'

'okay, okay, fair enough. I get it.' says haley.

you take another drag of your cigarette as the door behind haley opens, and the guys pile out into the night.

'told you.' says eli, kissing haley hello, and then lighting his own cigarette.

'hi love.' you say as bobby approaches you.

'hey.' he says, plucking the cigarette from your lips. 'you two ready to go?'

'yep! let's go.' you say, your eyes lingering on bobby as he takes a long drag from your cigarette. 'you can finish that one.'

bobby winks at you. this man knows you love watching him smoke.

you all start to head to the pub, talking about the show. just as you'd expected, they're all still on a high. it really had been a good show.

five of you squeeze into a corner booth while josh heads to the bar to order the first round of drinks. bobby slides into the booth after you. you know the booth isn't that big, but it isn't necessary for bobby to sit that close to you.

but you'd missed him so much, you lean into him as you say something to haley, who is sitting on the other side of the table.

time flies while you're all laughing and talking the night away. just as ryan sets down his beer, eli looks at bobby and nudges his head to the door.

'wanna go for a smoke?' he says.

bobby nods and pulls out his cigarettes, handing you one.

'I'll come as well.' says haley.

the four of you climb out of the booth, and josh and ryan follow. they'd find a different booth when they come back in.

it's colder outside than when you got the pub, and you pull your coat tighter around you. bobby notices, and wraps an arm around you. while pulling you closer to him, he takes out his lighter.

you want to get out your lighter as well, but instead of his own, bobby lights your cigarette first. you swear you can feel haley smirk at you from where she's standing next to eli.

ryan is talking about another pub that someone recommended, but all you can focus on is bobby's hand on your lower back. which is slowly but surely sliding lower and lower.

you shoot him a warning look, focusing on ryan's words.

just as ryan suggests going to check out the other pub, bobby leans closer to you.

'we've entertained them for long enough, don't you think?' he says in a low voice. 'and I know for a fact my bunk fits both of us. come on, I'm dying here, love.'

'robert.' you say, catching his hand and pushing it upwards. you would not wake up to paparazzi photos of bobby's hand on your ass. 'it's rude to just leave.'

'come on, it's better for everyone. this way we don't have to worry about anyone hearing us.'

'bobby!'

'what? it's not my fault you can never keep your mouth shut.'

'I would argue that it partly is your fault.'

'wanna test it out?'

'you're insufferable.'

'you're the one who couldn't keep your eyes off of me the entire show.'

'well you-'

'you two are not being as quiet as you think you are.' says haley.

you look over, noticing everyone is watching you.

'and I'm not just saying that about this conversation.' she says.

your jaw drops as everyone else chuckles. you look over at bobby, who was laughing as well. you elbow him in the ribs.

'sorry for exposing you but someone had to say it.' says haley.

'talking about exposing, your concealer has worn off again.' you say with a smirk.

haley's hand flies up to her neck as eli's eyes widen. he takes off his blue zip-up sweater and hands it to haley so she can wear it.

everyone is looking between you and haley. but when the two of you start laughing, they seems to decide it's all good.

'you two go on back to the venue.' says haley to you and bobby. 'we'll party on without you.'

you smile at your best fiend. 'if you-'

'okay, thanks, bye.'

before you can say anything else, bobby has already grabbed your hand and started walking away.

'bye!' you yell over your shoulder at the others as they cheer you on. you laugh at your friends. you really do love them. even if they tease you and bobby endlessly.

you struggle to keep up with bobby's long legs, but you don't want to slow down either. and maybe the others were right, and it's better if you have the bus to yourselves. you really missed bobby and you know he missed you too. you're not sure you could stay quiet even if you tried.

A/N: thanks for reading! everything that I have written can be found on my masterlist. please do not copy, translate, plagiarise or repost my work! some of these are requested by other people and I spend a lot of time and effort on my works <3 much love, marit

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triptuckers · 2 months ago

Note

OMGGGG WELCOME BACK QUEEN!!!!! honestly you can write quite literally ANYTHING (esp hurt/comfort pls pls pls) with jamie bc all your fics are simply immaculate 🫶🏼

THANKS QUEEN. I’m starting off with the most open-ended prompt and let me tell you, ya girl is RUSTY. This took way longer than it should so pls forgive me😅

But yeah requests are still open so ask away!

birds of a feather

The lights are off when you get home, but you don’t bother turning them on. You’re familiar enough with Jamie’s house that you can make your way upstairs and to his bed without looking. You drop your bag, kick off your shoes, and trudge upstairs.

The light’s on in his room but he’s passed out. You smile to yourself despite the day and switch off the lights.

You weren’t going to cry again, really you weren’t, but by the time you’re brushing your teeth, they’re sliding down your face.

But it’s dark, so no one can see.

You slip into bed where you can (hopefully) cry yourself to sleep when a sob escapes your throat.

Another slips out, then another, making it hard to stop and harder to breathe.

“Babe?” comes Jamie’s hoarse voice. “You alright?”

You can feel him reach for the light, so you blindly grab for his arm. “Don’t,” you gasp, “Please, just leave it off.”

Jamie understands what you mean. You’re trying to say, I don’t want you to see me cry.

He shifts so his face is two inches from yours. He’ll be awake in a few hours, but it doesn’t matter at the moment.

“What happened?” he whispers, but he already knows the answer. He hadn’t meant to fall asleep, but Beard had been running the team ragged in training.

You take a shuddering breath and Jamie’s eyes have adjusted enough where he can wipe away a tear. “Went exactly as expected, didn’t it?” you say. “She did what she always does. Asked for money, was furious when I said no. Asked for advice, was mad when I gave her an answer. Asked me to listen, was upset when I wasn’t giving her solutions. She stormed out after an hour, but not before throwing her wine on me. I ruined the dress you got me, I’m pretty sure we got papped, and I’m really, really sorry.” That’s going to be a lovely article to wake up to in the morning. If Keeley were here, she would be able to come up with a catchy headline for it, rhyming “Tartt,” with something about sisters and WAGs and thrown wine.

But Keeley isn’t here, it’s just you and Jamie, and you can’t help but think it’s too early in your relationship for this.

Really though, you haven’t been together long enough for your name to tarnish his. That’s a milestone that should be passed in ten months. A year, even.

Jamie barely catches himself from asking, “Why do you still see her?” just like everyone has asked him about his father.

Instead he says, “I’m not fuckin’ worried,” and wraps you in his arms.

You exhale and snuggle as close as you can.

It’s times like this where you remember exactly why you’re with him. He just- gets it.

You met him through Keeley. Keeley had been your sister’s friend first, met at a photo shoot, but it was hard to stay friends with your sister. You and Keeley became close while your sister accused you of stealing all her friends.

“Keeley would love to see you,” you had tried to tell her one time in an attempt to keep her from shouting.

“The fuck I would,” Keeley had snorted when you relayed the story hours later.

Keeley’s a genius, really. She took a horrible a vitriolic viral tabloid story about Jamie’s dad and a charity gala, and managed to create this, whatever “this” is.

Jamie’s running his thumb up and down your arm as your breathing evens out.

“Want to go on a run with me and Roy tomorrow?” he asks. “I’ll get you breakfast.”

You whisper back, “I can buy my own breakfast,” and Jamie’s grateful that it’s dark so he can roll his eyes without getting smacked.

“What if I fucking want to get it for you? What then, ey?”

You respond, “Hm,” and then you’re asleep.

—

If Roy’s surprised you’re with Jamie in the morning, he doesn’t show it. He grunts and says, “Don’t think I’m going fucking easy on you, Tartt,” but he sets the warmup at a pace you like before saying, “You’re doing fucking sprints today and I don’t want to hear fucking shit about it.”

He’d never admit it, but Roy’s excellent at reading people. The sprints are so you don’t have to have a single thought inside your head. By the time the sun rises, you’re enjoying coffee on a bench with Roy while Jamie completes his eighty-second pushup.

“Don’t fucking read the fucking Sun,” is the last thing Roy says before leaving to go to his actual work. You grimace, but Jamie takes your hand and swings it the whole way back to his house.

“I’m not going to see her again,” you tell him. He knows you’re lying. He said the same thing about his dad month and a half ago, but he’s going to see him in rehab next week.

Jamie hands you a credit card on his way out the door “to get something fucking hot, babe.”

It won’t change anything and it won’t even fix anything either, but that’s not the point.

The point is he’s looking at you. He sees, he understands, and he’s still there.

You do end up reading the article. It’s complete shit, a made up story about you being a bitch whose newfound celebrity has alienated you from your loving family. Nowhere does it mention that said “loving” family only comes crawling around when they need something. That what they take from you will never be enough.

The fuck did you read that shite for? comes Jamie’s text after you’ve ignored his last five. ik that’s why ur not responfing

Why is your autocorrect never on? you write back instead of answering.

Jamie’s reply is quick: for the aesthetic

You: So you can write “aesthetic,” but have trouble spelling “responding?” Seems strange

Jamie: Sma helpd

Then: *Sam.

You smile, despite yourself. Sometimes you wonder how much of this he does just to get a rise out of you. You suspect it’s more than he lets on, but you’ll let him pretend to be stupid for now.

You check the time. If he’s texting at this hour, it means training’s done. Your finger hovers over the call button for a fraction of a second before pressing it.

Sam picks up on the second ring. “Your boyfriend is hitting Isaac with a towel,” he says, no preamble. “It is chaos.”

“He was just texting me a second ago,” you say.

You can practically hear Sam shrug through the phone. “It escalated quickly. Do you need him? I’m sure they will stop since you’re calling.”

He doesn’t sound too sure, which makes you laugh. “No, it’s all good, can you just tell him-”

You’re interrupted but the muffled sound of the phone being wrestled away from Sam.

“Jamie’s a dickhead,” comes Isaac’s voice far too close to the speaker before there’s vague wrestling again and you hear Jamie, very much out of breath.

“What’s up, babe?” he asks and you don’t even remember why you called him in the first place because you’re smiling too wide.

“I really fucking love you,” you tell him and even though it isn’t the first time you said it, you feel nervous. The good kind, where you know he’s going to say it back and mean it, and that his words are just for you.

Jamie says, “I love you too,” and tries his best to convey a thousand meanings into four words.

“Great,” you say, “because the top Google story for you is me with a giant wine stain on my dress. So I think we should go out tonight and look so hot that everyone forgets all about it. Thoughts?”

Jamie says, “Fucking mint,” then, “fucking ow,” and you can tell by the sounds in the background that Isaac’s gotten him again.

“GottagoloveyouheresSam,” he says in a rush before you hear him practically hurl his phone.

“You have some strange coworkers, Sam,” you comment.

“You have a strange boyfriend,” he retorts, and he’s right. But Jamie’s strange matches your strange, so you think it’ll last.

#giggling blushing kicking my feet #i love a good bedtime story #goodnight yall #jamie tartt x reader #fic rec

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