#Richmond loses last second

[abovethemists]

Things I want out of the finale:

1. Greyhounds win over West Ham

2. Colin gets to kiss his fella after said win

3. Some sort of Ted/Rebecca moment where they get to acknowledge how much they’ve meant to each other over the past 3 years. Does not need to be romantic.

4. Roy as head coach

5. Roy/Keeley back together in some capacity because I’m still mad at the show for breaking them up in the first place and then basically doing nothing with it all season.

6. Richmond himbos making it nearly impossible for Ted to leave as he realizes how beloved he truly is.

7. Dr. Sharon appearance

8. One more off the wall Bumbercatch line

9. Beard/Jane final break up.

10. Everyone to be happy and get what they need, even if it’s not what they want.

[pandorasprongs]

CHAPTER FOUR | come home to my heart.

'it's nice to have a friend' fic masterlist + playlist | previous chapter

PAIRING: jamie tartt x fem!reader

WORD COUNT: 3.1k

SUMMARY: jamie tries to get reader to forgive him.

WARNINGS: language

A/N: hello! sorry for such a long wait, i've been on vacation. i also haven't been able to proofread huhu but hopefully the interlude prepped ya'll for this moment because a good chunk of this one is from jamie's pov! don't have much to say because i don't want to spoil much hehe but enjoy jamie's comeback!

Losing Jamie for a second time felt the exact same: like absolute shit. Except this time, you were an adult and couldn't sulk in your room all day. So for the next few weeks, — aside from said crying sessions — you've been dragging yourself to all of your lectures and powering through office hours as if nothing happened.

You already told Liv about it the morning after, and after seeing your bloated face and the fact that you had a massive hangover, she decided to withhold her 'I told you so' speech, much to your relief. 

It was unraveling the exact same way as last time and the cherry on top was the fact that Jamie wasn't reaching out in any way, shape, or fucking form. No texts, calls, or anything. 

Every now and then, you'd think about reaching out yourself. It was you who yelled at him that night and told him to leave, but you would shake your head every time. No, if Jamie really wanted to preserve your relationship, he would have to be the one to reach out. You got to say your piece and that's it.

And maybe you were being a little petty, taking down all your photos with him from the shelf and stuffing them in a box with all the tokens from Jamie that you couldn’t bring yourself to throw away, but at least it stopped you from nearly breaking down every time you passed your hallway.

Jamie wasn't taking it so well either, despite what you assumed.

After that night, he had this sinking feeling in him. He knew he fucked up, — ghosting you and treating you like a complete stranger at the pub in front of his teammates, — but it hurt even more hearing you shout and tell him how badly it fucked you up.

To this day, he doesn't know why he did it, really. Maybe it was the fact that he felt guilty for never talking to you after you left. Or maybe you were right; he cared too much about what his teammates thought that he ended up hurting you in the process. But no matter the reason, he ruined one of his most important relationships that night.

So what was he going to do? What he always did. Ignore it. Focus on the season, despite the fact that Richmond has been on a losing streak since the West Ham game. While Jamie might be off his game because of you, he wasn't going to acknowledge that. Just bury it and hope it disappears.

It wasn't until after the fifth match in the losing streak that he got a message from an unknown number he was forced to confront it. 

Hi Jamie. I'm Liv. I'm not sure if (Y/N)'s mentioned me, but I'm one of her friends and I got your number from her phone. I was hoping to talk to you soon when you're free.

So now, he was sitting in a white office like he was waiting for some test results. It didn't help that the person sitting in front of him was in a lab coat, either.

"Sorry, I know it's weird we had to do this in an office." Liv started and Jamie straightened up in the chair. "I thought you'd want somewhere private to talk."

"Right."

"Yeah, so you're probably wondering why I wanted to talk to you. Uhm, (Y/N)'s been a little off recently. She told me about what happened, which I honestly saw from a mile away, but that's not the point." Liv sighs before continuing. "The last time this happened, back in uni, she practically quarantined herself in her room till her parents came and picked her up. She barely ate, and barely talked to anyone. It was terrible. And I can tell that she's on the way to that again."

Jamie's eyes widened, filled with guilt once again, but he said nothing.

Something about his reaction just triggered something in Liv. "Right, so I'm sorry if this sounds rude, but what the fuck are you doing, man?" The footballer moved back in his chair, but Liv wasn't dismayed. "Why haven't you called her? Or even texted or something."

"I," Jamie's completely at a loss for words. "I thought that she didn't want to talk."

"What gave you that idea?"

"She told me to leave that night so harshly, so I thought..." Jamie trails off, realizing how terrible that reasoning is after saying it out loud.

Liv is thinking the exact same thing, causing her to roll her eyes. "Come on, Jamie! You can't actually think she wants nothing to do with you now. She won't ever say it, but do you know how many times I've caught her checking your contact to see if you've sent anything? She misses you and seeing how shit you've been playing these past few matches, I think it's safe to assume that you miss her too."

Despite this woman being a complete stranger to Jamie, he's suddenly compelled to admit, "Just because she misses me doesn't mean that she wants me back in her life. And I don't think I should be, to be honest." She's better off without me. 

Liv's expression finally softens and she looks down at her desk before saying, "She at least deserves an apology."

—

It had been a few days since then, which Jamie had been using to think it over. He knew Liv was right; he needed to apologize. He just didn't know how. And of course, he had to talk to the most emotional man he knew.

"Jamie! What brings you here?" Ted who, despite the team losing yet another game, greeted quite cheerfully. It almost made the football player turn right back around because he wasn't sure if he was in the mood for his coach's relentless optimism.

But he knew there wasn't anyone else he could go to, seeing as you were obviously unavailable, Keeley was way swamped with her new company, and telling his mum would be indirectly telling your parents too. He shuts the door behind him and moves to Ted's side of the office. "Right, um, I was hoping to talk to you about something."

His coach seems to pick up on Jamie's uneasy demeanor and leans forward with a sympathetic look on his face. "What's up, buttercup? Should I gather the diamond dogs for this?"

Jamie, recalling the name that the coaches and Higgins called themselves, was quick to reject the idea. "No, no, I'd rather not have them find out about this. Uhm, look, I know I haven't been doing my best recently,—"

"Oh, we'll get a win soon bud, don't worry." Ted is quick to reassure the player and while Jamie appreciates it, he shakes his head.

"No, I know, but that's not it." Jamie takes a deep breath before continuing. "It's just, I've been a bit distracted recently."

"Is this about a girl perhaps?"

"No," though Jamie thinks about it for a second. “Yes, but no?" Seeing the slight look of confusion on his coach's face, he explains, "A while back, I reconnected with an old friend. She was my best friend actually, back in Manchester. We didn't exactly end on the best of terms and it was my fault. But when we met again, she told me that I didn't need to apologize."

Jamie continued to recount the past few months to his coach, from his blind date to the Bones & Honey incident, along with what he did to you in the pub all those years ago. 

"So now, I don't know what to do. Her best friend said I should apologize, but I don't really know how. I'm not really the best with these types of things." Both of them still remembered how long it took for Jamie to get the team to forgive him when he first came back.

Ted takes a second before responding, trying to figure out the best thing to say in this situation. "You know Jamie, I've always thought the simplest ways are sometimes the best ones. Overthinking things tends to complicate them more. You want to apologize right? How'd you used to do it when you were kids and you threw your little tantrums at each other?"

"Coach, I don't think bringing her chocolate is gonna work this time around." Jamie gets flashbacks to your first-ever argument as kids. Jamie accidentally ate the last slice of chocolate cake that you had unofficially saved and you stormed out and locked yourself in your room for an hour. 

All it took was Jamie sliding a bar of chocolate through the bottom of the door, explaining that he got hungry, and promising to save her a slice of cake the next time they had a party. You ended up sharing the bar with Jamie.

"Probably not. But in all the times you fought, what were the things that got her to forgive you? What did you say that made her understand your side and know that you actually were sorry for what you did? And how did you prove to her that you weren't going to do that to her again?" Maybe if Jamie thought about this advice later tonight, it'll make more sense, but right now, only one question was occupying his mind.

"D'you think she'll forgive me?" He thinks out loud.

"I honestly don't know Jamie, I don't even know who she is. But if you show her how much you care like how you're showing me right now, I'm sure things will be fine." Ted, now standing, offers a comforting pat on the back.

Without looking up, Jamie whispers, "I never meant to do this to her. To hurt her like that."

"We rarely ever mean to hurt the people we love." Ted offers.

Love. Yeah, Jamie thought, he did love you, even after all these years. Especially after all these years. What, with all the 'absence makes the heart grow fonder' bullshit.

"All we can do after is try to atone for our mistakes and hope they forgive us. And even if they don't, at least you leave knowing you tried." Jamie nods his head and thanks his coach for the advice.

As he got into his car to leave the clubhouse, he pulled out his phone. Hi, are you free tonight? I was hoping we could talk. 

He anxiously waited for your reply and started listing all the places he had to pass by before heading to your place if you even answered. But before Jamie even left the car park, you already replied, Sure.

—

Maybe you had been hoping for Jamie's message more than you thought. You were in the middle of the lecture when you got his message, so while your class passed the handouts around, you took the chance to grab your phone and reply.

So now, you were anxiously waiting in your flat, still unsure of how you were meant to feel about all this. You knew there was still anger there, but you weren't sure if exploding on him relieved that feeling or made it worse. A part of you also felt guilty for it too, for not even giving him a chance to apologize in the first place. Maybe instead of awkwardly letting him inside later, you would've been having yet another movie night together.

That's what he was going to do now right? Apologize? You didn't really press on for my details when he messaged you earlier. You just hoped that seeing him again will trigger the right response to whatever he had planned.

You heard the doorbell ring and suddenly, it felt like your heartbeat quickened. You take careful steps towards the door and after mentally preparing yourself for whatever this was going to be, turn the doorknob.

"Hi," Jamie greeted, in the most awkward way possible for a guy as confident as he could. You notice him holding a box of LEGO flowers under his left arm and a pack of chocolate nuggets in his right hand.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, you jokingly ask, "Is your apology just going to be flowers and chocolate?" though it may have come across as harsher than you intended.

"No, but uh, in case you changed your mind about talking to me when you saw me, I thought this would at least get me through the door," Jamie explained and you slowly nodded your head.

"Well, you were right." You take the things from his hand and let him inside. 

You had already cleaned up the place before he came over and hidden all the messy catalogs and test papers in your room for the time being. Its current condition could honestly pass as one of those display sets in department stores.

You placed the items on your dining table before turning back to Jamie who was awkwardly standing in the middle of the living room.

You didn't want to delay this any further. "So, why'd you want to talk?"

"Right," Jamie started, still unable to look you in the eye. "I wanted to say sorry for not messaging you these past few weeks. I've just been busy and Richmond's been on a losing streak too,—"

"Is that really all you wanted to say?" Your tone was soft, but even you knew you were being blunt. You just couldn't handle the sinking feeling of anxiety in your chest anymore and while you might be rushing him, you just wanted to get this over with.

"No, it's not." Jamie closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. He moves towards you and starts looking at you intently. "I'm sorry. For everything. You deserved an apology and an explanation a long time ago and I can't go back in time, so I want to do it now."

He pauses for a moment, and when you realize he's waiting for you to say something, you respond, "Go ahead, Jamie."

He nods his head and almost looks like he's psyching himself up before a match. He takes another deep breath before continuing.

"I wanted to start from when I started to get distant. I never told you, but after I started at Man City, dad came back into the picture."

"He did?" Your voice was barely a whisper, and you're unsure if he even heard it because he keeps talking.

"You know how he is, right?" Of course, you did. 

Growing up, you knew the exact times his dad would be coming over. There’d be some beat up car in their driveway and if you looked out your window, Jamie’s window blinds would be down. During the early years, you’d ask your mom to call their house, but after the first time and about a ten-minute call with Georgie, she started telling you they were busy. It was only after that outlying car in their driveway disappeared that Jamie would come knocking at your door, asking to play. He'd have this air of discomfort the first few days, but you were so happy being able to see him again that you’d end up ignoring it.

"Anyway, he was on my arse that whole time. He always had something to say after every match about how I fucked up or, how shit I'd been. Even if I was just sitting on the bench, he still had something to say. It was exhausting," You could tell that Jamie was starting to get angry at the reminder of his father, and without thinking, you reach out to hold his hand. Jamie seems to relax at your touch and when he seems to have composed himself, you let go.

"He would go on about the same things. Don't be soft, it's the fucking Premier League and shit like that. I just, I wanted it to stop. And I thought that toughening up would stop him from him getting under my skin. That meant removing everything that did make me soft, vulnerable. One of those things was you, but I realized now that it was in a good way. As in, I only ever felt comfortable and safe when I was with you." Your eyes widened at his confession and you felt tears threatening to fall.

"But fuck, Dad was really in my head back then. I thought that you were making me weak. And I hated the thought of him calling me that. So I stopped picking up your calls and messages. I just blocked you out.

"But when I started to realize I was becoming a prick, I thought you'd never want to talk to me again. That you'd hate me and it wasn't worth trying to get you to forgive me. Plus, Mum always had great stories about you, so I thought you were better off without me. I guess that's why I was such a prick back in the pub, pretending I didn’t know you. Might as well lean into it if I already lost you." At this point, you were resisting the urge to envelop Jamie in a hug and never let go, but you knew he wanted to finish his piece.

"And I know that it doesn't change the fact that it was a shitty way to treat someone I loved, but it's the best explanation I can give you. I really am sorry." Jamie held your eyes, emphasizing how genuine he was being. Someone I loved, did he really just say that? But he starts again before you can even consider what that meant.

"And, I really am trying to be better. I want to be worthy of staying in your life, if you'll let me. This time, I promise I'll never leave you like that ever again."

You were processing his words and couldn't answer immediately, so Jamie added, "And if you decide that you don't want anything to do with me, then you'll never have to see me again. But I promise to keep trying to be better even then."

You continued to stay silent and Jamie took that as your answer. "Right, so that's all I had to say, so I'll be out of—"

You wrap your arms around him, stopping him mid-sentence. The footballer is slow to reciprocate it, but when he does, you're transported back in time. It feels like you're eight again, and Jamie's football team just won the finals. It feels like you're fifteen again, and you've made up during a midnight run to the grocery after a stupid argument. It feels like you're seventeen again, saying goodbye to the only boy you've ever loved.

"I don't know if I'm ready to forgive you yet, Jamie. To go back to how it was before." You finally answer, and if you're being honest, you don't think you ever could go back. "But I want to be able to," you whisper and you feel him relax even more in your arms. "Just, don't fuck it up and leave again. Because I'd really love to have you in my life again."

"I promise I won't." And this time, you believe him.

A/N: and there you go! the angst is over! (or is it? muahaha) some cameos from liv and ted to help snap jamie out of it :) i had written jamie's apology monologue the same time i wrote reader's angry monologue from chapter three with some slight revisions when i put them in their respective chapters, so hopefully it matches up well stay tuned for the next chapter!!

TAGLIST: @moonflowersandsparkles @faith-alons26 @rexorangecouny @aiyaiy @thegirlthatwantedtowrite @giggling-sewer-ginger @katdahlali @higherthanheroes @guccilongboard @alipap3 @rockchickrebel @ellietartt @shineforever19 @skewedcherries @jamietarttdodo @meg-ro @deepdarkvelvet @taytaylala12 @scaramou @rae4725 @oxxolovemelikeyoudooxxo (couldn't tag you for some reason?)

[waywardxwords]

Chapter 2 - Nothing to Lose (Taking Chances)

Summary: After a random encounter introduces you to Dean Winchester, you can't shake the magnetic pull you feel towards him. For years, you've felt like everything in your life is under control--a promising career, financial stability and no real responsibilities. Dean's a hunter; it's his life and job. But somehow when you meet, your worlds are flipped upside down and you have to decide if it's a chance worth taking.

Chapter Warnings: None

Pairing: Dean Winchester x female!reader

Word Count: ~2.5k

Read Chapter 1 - Rules Were Meant for Breaking here!

The wind whipped at the shutters on your two-bedroom home tucked in the suburbs of Richmond, Virginia. It was another quiet night for you. Quiet had become your norm, and you were perfectly content with that. One hand held your cell phone to your ear while the other poured yourself a glass of Merlot. 

“I’m heading to Kansas next week,” you said somewhat nonchalantly into the receiver, but your best friend knew better than that. 

“Oooh,” she cooed. “Are you seeing your flying buddy?” You rolled your eyes. After you had mentioned your encounter that had happened almost a month ago now, she had been relentless. 

“No…I don’t know,” you grumbled. “He has a name, you know.” 

“Oh, I know. The mysterious Dean. I still wish you had gotten a last name. You gotta Google guys nowadays. You tend to find some creepy ass people,” she muttered back. You slipped the cork back into the bottle and carried your glass to the living room. 

“Says the girl who dated a guy with an attempted battery charge,” you scoffed as you plopped down on your couch and pulled your legs up to the side. 

“Listen, Tinder is wild. It’s not my fault he used a fake name,” she tossed back. “And let’s just remember it was a charge and he was never actually convicted.”

“Yeah, let’s not try to justify that one, ‘kay?” You laughed. “I don’t know, I don’t think I’m going to call him. I don’t even know if he wants to hear from me.” You swirled the burgundy liquid around in your wine glass as your mind replayed the night you and Dean spent together. 

“You were pretty clear about what you wanted…or didn’t want, for that matter. At least, from what you told me.” 

Once you and Dean had gotten your room assignments, you agreed to meet in his room after you got settled. A quick glance in the mirror made you grimace—traveling for fifteen hours hadn’t done you any favors. You swiped your index finger under each eye to clean up the smudged mascara before you pulled at the fallen strands of hair to fix your bun. The idea of getting dressed up at this point seemed futile, so you settled on a long sleeve shirt and leggings with sneakers. 

After a quick breath, you grabbed your room key and cell phone and headed down the hall to Dean’s room. Your knuckles tapped against the wood. 

Within a moment, the door swung open revealing your new friend. He had changed into a gray undershirt and sweatpants. 

“Hey,” you breathed with a smile. 

“Hi,” he smiled back. He stepped back and held the door open for you. “Come on in.” 

“Are we passing on the bar adventure?” You raised your eyebrows as you eyed his choice of sweatpants. 

“Oh, you mean you don’t want to be seen with me wearing sweatpants in the bar?” He feigned offense. “And see, I didn’t think you cared about that kinda thing…” before you could say anything, he continued. “Nah, I’ll be honest. I’m pretty exhausted and thought we could just hang out and watch a movie or something.”

“That works, but seriously, if you’re tired I can absolutely entertain myself and get some sleep. We don’t have to hang out,” you were second-guessing everything, and that wasn’t like you. The confidence and self-assurance you had when it came to your work seemed to go out the window when it came to Dean. 

“No way,” he plopped down on the bed and put his feet up as he sat against the headboard. “It’s almost Halloween, how do you feel about some scary classics?” He wiggled his eyebrows, which made you laugh. 

“Sounds good to me,” you walked to the other side of the bed and sat down so you were against the headboard with your legs folded like a pretzel. 

The movie was fun, but you and Dean ended up talking throughout most of it. 

“Okay, so you don’t like planes…anything else you’re afraid of?” You popped a pretzel from the trail mix bag Southwest had provided on your earlier flight into your mouth and handed the bag to Dean. 

“Hm,” he hummed as he rummaged through for a Cheez-It. “Not really. My brother’s afraid of clowns.” 

“Clowns are pretty creepy,” you agreed. Dean rolled his eyes. 

“What about you? What are you afraid of?” The question was harmless, but the answer felt loaded to you. As you processed your thoughts, you hesitated but decided to just go for it. 

“Being alone,” your eyes fell to your lap where you played with a loose string on the comforter. “Sorry, that was deep.” You laughed lightly as you avoided eye contact and wondered if you had gone with something easier; something like snakes or needles. 

“Hey,” Dean’s voice caught your attention. “Don’t be sorry. That’s a valid fear.” You noticed his voice was lower than before. His words were kind, but you still felt like you had made a mistake by opening up that much to him. 

“I appreciate it,” you managed a small smile. 

There was a pause, but you were surprised it wasn’t uncomfortable. Then Dean spoke once more. “In, uh, in the spirit of ‘if you show me yours, I’ll show you mine’,” he cleared his throat. “I’m batshit terrified of being afraid…”

You blinked as you contemplated his words. “You’re…afraid of being afraid?” 

He chuckled and rubbed at the back of his neck as he dropped his gaze to his lap. “Yeah, I know it sounds weird. I guess for me, I always have to be strong and just have my shit together. Which I don’t, by the way.” You watched the side of his face as he spoke, illuminated by the movie playing on the TV on the dresser across from you. “It’s pretty much always been me and Sammy—my brother,” he reminded you. “I don’t really ever show anyone if I’m afraid of something.”

“Everybody gets scared, Dean,” you coaxed as he paused. “Your brother would understand that.”

“Yeah, I don’t know about that,” he pondered, his eyebrows knitted together. “I guess so, I just don’t show it.”

Even though it was a simple confession, you felt like you learned a lot about Dean in that moment. 

“You were afraid on the plane, I could tell,” you smirked and pushed your elbow gently into his ribs playfully. 

A smile tugged at the corners of his lips, and for the first time since he started speaking, his head turned to look at you. His eyes practically studied you but all you felt was his vulnerability. “I know,” he said softly. “That’s the thing, I was able to drop the act in front of you. I just can’t figure out why…”

“Ah,” you smiled. “You broke your own rule. You took your mask off.”

He chuckled again. “I guess I did.” 

You turned back after a moment to look at whatever was happening on the TV in front of you, and that’s when you felt Dean’s palm graze the top of your hand at your side. It wasn’t forceful or pushy, it just felt comforting. You glanced down at your hands and took a breath. 

“Dean, I need to be honest with you,” your words were so soft, you weren’t sure if he heard you. His eyes watched you and he nodded for you to continue. “I’m really, really bad at…this whole thing.” You mumbled. 

“At what, exactly?” He asked for clarification. 

“Men? Affection? I’ve been so focused on my career for so long, I kinda just settled on the fact I’d be alone for the rest of my life. And even though it terrifies me, I’m also kind of content with that? Let’s be honest, you live in Kansas and I live in Virginia. We don’t even know each other, we’re strangers,” you were rambling at this point. 

“I’m not askin’ you to marry me, sweetheart,'' he laughed gently, but also removed his hand from yours.

“No, I know,” you breathed. “I’ve really enjoyed spending time with you, seriously. I just don’t see how…” you trailed off as you tried to find your words. 

“I get it, wrong place, wrong time,” he repeated the words from earlier. 

“Something like that,” you sighed. You stared into his green gaze for another moment before you found your voice again. “I should go.” 

Dean nodded once, but you saw the disappointment flash across his features. “I understand.” He swung his legs off of the bed and waited for you to walk you to the door. “Just so you know, I really liked talking with you tonight.” 

“Me too, Dean,” you managed a smile and wondered why you felt sad. You wouldn’t let your feelings deter you. 

“And hey, if you’re ever in Kansas and wanna break any more of those rules…” he reached for a notepad on the table by the door. He scribbled out a number. “Gimme a call.” 

You took the paper willingly and gave him one more gentle smile. “Thanks, Dean.” And against your better judgment, you leaned forward on your tip toes and kissed his stubble covered cheek. “Goodnight.”

You saw Dean on the plane the next morning, but couldn’t be sure if he had seen you. He picked a seat rows ahead of you, and by the time you had gotten off of the plane—he was gone. 

“Can you blame the guy?” Your best friend’s voice interrupted your thoughts. “He bared his soul to you and you bolted.”

“I didn’t bolt because of the conversation! I got scared,” you mumbled. 

“I know, but I also know it’s been a month and you haven’t shut up about him,” she reminded you. “Call. The. Man. Please, if for nothing else, for my sake. I’m sick of hearing you whine.” 

“Ugh, fine,” you grumbled. “I’ll call him.” 

“You better,” she bit back. “If you don’t call him, you’re not allowed to talk about him anymore. Got it?”

A sigh fell from your lips, but you knew she was right. “Deal.” 

“Good, I gotta run. I love you.”

“Love you, too,” and with that, you both hung up. You stared at your phone for a minute. With a quick scroll in your contacts, you found the number you had added after Dean wrote it down on the notepad. Your finger hovered for a moment before you took a leap of faith and pressed his name. 

You pushed the phone to your ear and took a very large sip of your wine with your eyes squeezed shut tightly. Your breath got caught in your throat when you thought he had answered, only to realize it was his voicemail. 

“This is Dean’s other, other cell…so you must know what to do.” And then there was a beep. You quickly hung up the phone. How many cell phones does this guy have? And why…? Maybe your best friend was right—maybe you needed to fully vet this dude before you considered coordinating a meet-up. But before you could think on it any longer, your phone started vibrating against the couch cushion. 

“Hi,” you sighed into the phone as you pinched the bridge of your nose. 

“Uh, hi. Who is this?” His voice sounded gruffer than you remembered. 

“Dean, sorry, I uh, I—this is—” he cut you off before you could say anything else. 

“Oh…uh, everything okay?” He sounded…worried, or concerned, maybe? But you weren’t sure why. And he recognized your voice? There was so much you were confused about but it was overshadowed by the giddiness you felt that he recognized your voice from just a few words. 

“Oh, everything’s fine,” you quickly answered. “I’m sorry to bother you, I just wanted to call to let you know I’m going to be in Kansas next week…�� you second-guessed, again, why you had called to begin with. You knew you were sending the man mixed signals, and you didn’t mean to. It was a battle from within that you couldn’t tell if you were losing or winning, at this point. He didn’t speak during your pause, so you continued. “I’m sorry, Dean. I shouldn’t have called.”

“No, it’s alright,” he spoke softly. “I just didn’t think I’d hear from you again.” You wanted to kick yourself, but instead you stood to your feet and paced a bit in front of your couch as you gripped the phone to your ear.

“I know,” you sighed. “Moment of honesty without any judgment?” You asked hesitantly.

“Shoot,” by the sound of his voice, you could tell he still wasn’t sure what you wanted or why you had dialed his number. To be fair, you still weren’t sure, either. There was this strange sense of connection you felt with him after only spending a few hours with him. It was something you couldn't shake.

“When I left your hotel room that night,” your feet slowed and you brought your fingers up to fidget with the charm on your necklace. “I kind of panicked. But…” But I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you, is what you wanted to say. However, you weren’t feeling very brave, so you swerved. “…I just knew you had said if I were ever in Kansas again, to give you a call.” Per usual when the nerves crept up and made you feel like you had made a mistake, your teeth found the inside of your bottom lip and nibbled there self consciously. 

There was a pause that made you question yourself even more than before, if that were possible. “No, I’m glad you called. When are you planning to be in town?” 

Your heart fluttered. Maybe he did want to see you, after all. “Next week, actually. I fly in on Monday afternoon but I don’t have any meetings until Tuesday.” 

“Alright,” there was something to his voice that sounded different than before—there was a hardness there you hadn’t noticed on the plane, or when you spent the evening talking about what you were afraid of and watching classic horror flicks. This Dean felt guarded. “Well, how ‘bout drinks? There’s not much out here, but there’s a dive bar. The Blind Pig, it’s in Salina near the airport.”

“Is that too far for you? Aren’t you in Lebanon?” This version of Dean made you realize you really didn’t know him at all—this was just a man you had met by pure happenstance. You wondered if you should Google him, after all. 

“Ah, it’s alright. I spend ninety percent of my time in my car and I love it,” he answered truthfully. 

Even though your brain was telling you to think twice, something within you urged your mouth to speak anyway. “Alright, then. Is 7 o’clock okay?”

“Seven it is,” he answered, and this time you could tell he had a smile on his face. 

“Okay, great,” you gnawed at your bottom lip as you processed. “I’ll see you then.”

“See you then,” he repeated back. Simple ‘byes’ ended your conversation and you couldn’t help but cringe from the awkwardness as you pulled the phone from your ear. All you could think about was that you hoped you hadn’t made a mistake. 

A/N: I'm so excited to be back! I've spent a lot of time planning this series out, so I hope you enjoy! Thanks so much for reading, please feel free to let me know if you enjoyed it ♥️

Chapters will be posted on Wednesdays and Saturdays!

Preview of the next chapter:

The Blind Pig was a small hole-in-the-wall sports bar, but it sure did have a lot of patrons. Thankfully, your flight had gotten in when it was supposed to without any delays, but that had gotten you settled in your hotel by five o’clock and ready to meet Dean by six. You had pulled out your laptop to try and get some work done, but your eyes kept pulling to the numbers on the nightstand. 

6:02. And then again at 6:04. By 6:07, you couldn’t take it anymore. So you headed the short distance from your hotel to The Blind Pig and settled on a barstool at the bar. 

“What can I get you?” The bartender interrupted your thoughts as he dried his hands on a small dish rag. 

“A Jack and Coke, please,” you answered in an effort to calm your nerves. “And a glass of water,” so hopefully you wouldn’t get too ahead of yourself. 

The bartender nodded and grabbed a glass. Every time the front door opened, you couldn’t help but turn to see if it was Dean walking through the door. But it was still only 6:45, and you knew he had a long drive. 

Just as your drink was set in front of you, you heard him clear his throat behind you. “Hey, Atlanta,” the nickname brought a smile to your lips and a shiver down your spine as you turned towards him.

Read Chapter 3 here!

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[tobebbanburg]

I just wanted to imagine a world where Trent writes a completely under-the-radar article for Colin’s hometown newspaper to address the rumours of him being gay without making a big deal about it.

Full article text under the cut:

At 28 years of age, Colin Hughes is something of a late bloomer. After a mediocre start to his career saw Cardiff City relegated to the Championship, the Barry native was transferred to the struggling AFC Richmond, a harsh environment for any young footballer trying to make his mark on the world. But after years of flying under the radar, Hughes is finally making himself known at both national and international levels, and one can’t help but marvel at how far this young man has come.

Hughes’s love for the sport was nurtured from a young age, here in Barry, and despite his recent success it is clear he hasn’t forgotten his roots. The modest yet respectable history of Welsh football is something that Hughes could lecture on at the drop of a hat (and indeed needs to be stopped from lecturing once he gets started), and even his favoured position as a left winger was chosen in homage to Welsh footballing legend Gary Speed, a man who still acts as an inspiration for Hughes today.

“He did wonders for our national team. He was the one who made us all believe that Wales could hold our own against the rest of the world. I don’t think we’d be where we are today without all the work he put in: now that I can, I’m doing my best to continue what he started,” Hughes says.

Hughes’s ‘best’, in this instance, has been to fund a new development program throughout Wales, offering summer bootcamp scholarships to children from underprivileged areas. One can’t help but feel that were Speed still with us, he’d be proud of what Hughes is trying to achieve, although perhaps a little bemused at lending his name to an indeterminable breed of dog that Hughes affectionally refers to as ‘Gazza’.

“Me and my boyfriend got him from the shelter last week,” he says, showing a picture of a large but scrawny dog being embraced on both sides by Hughes and his boyfriend, one Michael Chen. “We got him to celebrate Richmond’s second place in the Prem.”

Buying a dog is perhaps an unusually tame way to celebrate for most footballers, but unusual is rather how AFC Richmond operates these days. Whilst most teams would be disappointed with losing out on winning the Premier League by the slimmest of margins, many often claiming that third place is preferable to second, both Hughes and AFC Richmond are treating their status as runners up with dignity, and no small amount of delight.

“I’m not being funny, right, but if you’d told me a year ago that Richmond’d avoid relegation, let alone make it to second place, I’d’ve said you were full of ****,” Hughes says, then apologises after a gentle reminder not to swear. “It’s gutting to miss out on winning the whole thing, of course, but we’re proud of what we’ve done. And besides, it gives us something to aim for next year.”

Hughes succinctly brings us to the elephant in the room: the recent departure of Coach Ted Lasso. Whilst Lasso himself has always maintained the humble adage that Richmond’s recent success wasn’t wholly his doing, the fact remains that the club have never before performed so well over a single season, nor so swiftly reversed their declining fortunes. One can’t help but wonder what a future without Lasso looks like. Hughes, for his part, remains optimistic.

“Coach Lasso made a real difference. Not just in how we play as a team but in how we think, how we work. That kind of change is here to stay,” he says, before adding, “plus we’ve got facetime and all that **** so it’s not like he’s properly gone. I mean I could call him right now if you want?”

But what of Hughes’ future as an international player? After making his debut for Wales a little under a year ago, and with a surprise win against Uruguay under his belt from April, surely his prospects on the world stage are looking encouraging? With Gareth Bale announcing his retirement, is there a possibility for Hughes to follow in the steps of childhood hero Speed and take over as captain of his national team?

“****,” Hughes says, once again forgetting the request to forgo swearing. “I hadn’t thought that far ahead. I mean that’s the dream, isn’t it, but I know that any of the lads on the team’d do a great job in the role. Any one of us would bring something different to the job, so who’s to say?”

It’s modest, considered statements like these that give weight to Hughes’s earlier words of change: Lasso may have moved on, but his impact on the team is here to stay. I, for one, cannot wait to see where Colin Hughes takes it from here.

[makethatelevenrings]

Somewhere Only We Know - TWO

Chapter Warnings: spoilers for 2x02, swearing but that’s part of the show idk why you would be surprised by that

shoutout to @yanna-banana​ for showing me this Instagram dupe site so I can make this a bit more ~interactive~ since reader is, y’know, a social media manager. also thanks for ur patience my lovelies, i’m having “ahhhh im graduating” depressive states and all my energy is going towards finals and existing rn.

Series Masterlist

“Okay. Laptop. Charger. Keys. Coffee. Shoes. Shoes!”

For some reason, you were a mess this morning. You had been repeating your list of things you needed over and over again and yet every time you kept discovering something else you had forgotten. Your bag lay half-packed on the couch as you ran around like a chicken with its head cut off in pursuit of your shoes. Seriously, how the fuck did you lose the shoes you had grabbed from your closet just a minute ago?

That’s because they were in your hands.

Sighing, you pulled on the sensible flats and took another moment to look around your room and list out all the things you needed for work today. The TV played in a lone drone behind you and you turned your head to see This Morning playing. Philip and Holly were interviewing some guy from that one reality show.

“What about Amy? Are you going to wait for her?” Holly asked.

“Nah, no. I was just playing a game, know what I mean?” the guy replied. Christ, was that Jamie Tartt? It was, wasn’t it. “Find the fittest girl there, have sex with her in the toilet, ask her to marry you. Strategy.”

“Wow,” you drawled before you shut off the TV. “He’s a piece of shit.”

You headed for the door and quickly backtracked. You almost forgot your entire bag and the leftovers from the shoot you had last night. Ugh, you needed more coffee.

~~~

You were scrolling through TikTok in search of a new trend to use for a Richmond video when all five foot two inches of your boss came bursting into your office.

“Oh, sorry! I should have knocked. Get your bag, babes, we’re going to lunch,” she exclaimed. “There’s this cafe that’s a ten minute walk from here and they’ve got the best coffee.”

You knew better than to argue with the pure ball of energy that was Keeley Jones. In the short time you’ve known her, you loved the beaming blonde. She and Rebecca were infectious in their laughter, light, and kindness. When you first interviewed, you were intimidated by the two women, but you quickly learned that they were goofy as hell and always down to gossip.

Grabbing your purse, you dutifully followed Keeley through the maze of hallways. She passed the locker room without a second glance, but you made sure to peek over your shoulder to see a few of the guys streaming out of the doors.

“Yo, Keeley!” someone called. She spun around and waved at whoever yelled and then grabbed your hand, pulling you over to talk to a few of the guys.

“Hi Isaac! Have you met our new social media manager yet? She’s gonna be the one making you all look sexy on the Gram now,” she announced. You offered them a tentative smile and the large man in front of you beamed.

“Isaac McAdoo,” he introduced. You gave him your name in turn and then cleared your throat. You weren’t as charismatic or bubbly as Keeley, but you were trying to make more of an effort. Your last job was filled with a few passive aggressive comments thrown over cubicle walls and then bossa nova jazz everyday. No one had been chatty or nice the way everyone was at Richmond.

“I’ve actually been meaning to set up meetings with all the players,” you explained. “My job is to handle the team’s socials, but I also want to integrate the players' ideas and individual brands. I’d also like to know if anyone is working with a management team so I can coordinate with them on certain posts.”

“Isn’t she fucking brilliant?” Keeley exclaimed.

Isaac puffed out his chest and flexed his biceps. “As long as you make us look good, then I’m in.”

Keeley patted you on the shoulder. “We should get going to lunch, but check your email soon. I’ll make sure we can coordinate times to meet.”

“Awesome. Nice to meet you!” He darted off to go talk to someone else and Keeley slid her arm into the crook of yours so she could lead you out of the building and down the road.

“Isaac’s all bark and no bite unless you’re on the field,” she explained. “Sam is an absolute sweetie and Colin is darling. Richard is my go-to when I need to know a wine pairing and Zoreaux is a beast at Dance Dance Revolution. Bumbercatch is…”

Keeley listed off all the players on the team and you tried to keep a mental catalog of everything she said, but it was making your head spin. You were grateful once she stopped outside a small cafe that was indeed a short walk from Nelson Road. A simple vanilla latte and a chicken cobb salad was your order while Keeley got a complicated drink and a wrap.

The owner, Alex, handed the two of you your drinks and you turned with the intention of finding a table to wait for the food when Keeley stopped short. Some guy stood half-obscured by the plant shelves, but he stepped out once he realized he caught Keeley’s attention.

“Jamie?!” she exclaimed.

“I-I’m not stalking ya,” he blurted out. “I’ve been following you for, like, a few blocks now and I couldn’t text ya because I deleted your number.”

As he rambled on, his words started to fade in and out as you took him in. His slicked back hair made him look like a corny Godfather character and the all black ensemble didn’t help. You could understand why people fawned over him with that strong jaw and blue eyes, but as his lips moved all you could hear was his smarmy talk from the show this morning. 

“So, yeah, I’ve been following you for the last few blocks. No, I’m lying. I’ve been following you for your whole lunch hour. But I’ve just been trying to build up the courage to say hi…so…hi.” His voice trailed off and he shrugged.

“That’s, like, the definition of stalking,” you murmured which drew his attention to you. Jamie Tartt was starting to feel like a bad omen that was following you around.

“Hi, sorry. Jamie Tartt.” He offered you a cocky smile that you recognized from the TV that morning and you merely glanced down at his outstretched hand. You had no idea where that hand had been. Raising a single eyebrow, you let your gaze trail up from his hand to his face.

“I’ll go find us a table,” you said to Keeley before you brushed past him and found an empty table by the window. You always loved sitting by the window and watching the world pass by. You could make up stories about the people that passed by. Like the lady walking two poodles. Maybe she was some CEO or maybe she was an undercover agent. That would be sick as hell.

“Sorry about that, babe,” Keeley apologized. She placed your salad in front of you and then took the seat across from you. “Now, I just want to say that your idea about meeting all the players? Brilliant. Absolutely fucking brilliant. When we get back to the office, we can set up a calendar for everyone to schedule a time to meet with you. How’s that sound?”

“That’s great. I really love working here.” You looked towards the door where Jamie Tartt was heading out of, a coffee clutched in his hand. He glanced back at the table you were sitting at and you immediately looked away and back at Keeley. You offered her a tight smile and nodded along to whatever she was saying.

Hopefully that was the last time you would ever see Jamie Tartt.

Tag List: @shiptheship​

[mikimeiko]

I have seen various thoughts and concerns and explanations about how Ted is handling Zava vs how Ted handled Jaime.

The thing I feel is missing is a bit of context, a bit of bigger picture: where Richmond was then vs where Richmond is now; Ted's professional arc.

When Ted first arrived in Richmond, he came with the idea that he was there to make things better, both from a professional point of view and a personal point of view. Ted likes working on the second to achieve the first, and feels like even if you don't achieve the first it's fine because it's not as important (Beard has to remind him that yes, when you play football professionally, it is important if you win or lose).

And Richmond? It was a premiere league team, but it was struggling. Jaime was already there, already doing his "me me me" bit, and the team was still struggling. Everyone agreed that there was space for improvement, and so even though they found Ted's way weird and off-putting they still had no good reason to actively go against him.

Compare to now: Richmond had a good run last season, they even managed to get back to the premiere league, but then everyone thought they were gonna finish last because they were not good enough. Enter Zava: a player so good that it feels like a miracle to have him on the team. And he scores, and scores, and scores, and they win, and win and win. And his self aggrandising is much less grating than Jaime's was, he doesn't come with a side of bullying and instead is accompanied by those moments where he puts his (apparent) undivided attention on you and makes you feel like you're the center of the world. Currently everyone (except Jaime) is buying into the myth, and there is no obvious reason to challenge the new status quo. (Will there be? Of course there will. But there isn't for now)

And Ted: yes, he is going through his own, incredibly distracting shit; yes, he explicitly said he feels out of place and kinda useless. But he has also been listening to Beard, telling him (with good reason) this are not teenage highschool players, these are professional adults whose livelihood depends on how the team is faring. And he listened to Rebecca when she said I want you to fight.

And so there's definitely gonna be a reckoning, there will definitely come a time where the Zava miracle stops working (either on the field or in the locker room) and Ted will have to step up. But he's not going to do it by reverting to season 1 Ted! That Ted was lovely but fully flawed, and he grew and learned and now he's got to integrate the different parts and find balance; and my guess is this is also what Richmond will have to do.

[hopefulromances]

About "Long time coming" delete scenes and their future, can you please write something about the reader getting a call-up to the World Cup (I don't know if the timeline adds up) and Jamie following her Journey towards the final despite the time difference between Australia and England and him comforting her when she comes back after losing 1-0 to Spain, you can ignore it if you want to <3

OMG This is such a good idea!!!!!!!

We're gonna pretend the timeline adds up cause this is such a good idea omg.

A Long TIme Coming drabble

In the year since Richmond had started the Lady Greyhounds, I'd never been happier. When I got the news that I was chosen for England's International Women's team for the World Cup, I just about lost it.

My skills had come back strong, and the whole country seemed to be talking about (Y/N) (L/N)'s amazing season as the captain of the Greyhounds, leading the team to a third place finish in their first year in the league. But even still I hadn't expected to be recognized with a call up so soon.

The first person you'd rushed to tell was Jamie, of course. The men's team practiced simultaneously as the women's. They'd built onto the club to make a locker room and shower for the women but we all worked out of the same place.

After training that day I'd gone over to the men's locker room, running over to find Jamie as soon as I could.

"Jamie!" I called out, running into the room.

He turned and caught me in his arms, excited to see me. "Hey, love! How was training."

He loved seeing her so happy. In all the times she'd been working with the coaches, he'd never seen her so relaxed and happy before.

"Jamie, I was called up for the international team! I'm gonna play in the Women's World Cup!" I told him, smiling from ear to ear.

Jamie's face lit up as he grabbed me around the waist and lifted me up off the floor. The rest of the lads gave me a cheer as well but I only saw him.

"(Y/N) (L/N), you legend!" He squeezed you tight. "I'm so proud of you, kid."

Jamie wasn't able to come with her to Australia, unfortunately. But he kept up with every game. The time difference between England and Australia is 9 hours. Meaning when the game started at 4pm in Australia it was 7am in England.

But Jamie was up already from his workout with Roy and would be at the home watching the game until the last second, then even when he'd gotten to the club, he was checking his phone every few minutes, checking the score.

I only got 15 minutes of play time near the end of the match against the Matilda's and we were already up 3-1 but the Tillies still put up a fight against us.

When I got on the bus after the game, I immediately got a phone call.

"What a match!" Jamie shouted over the phone. I had to pull the phone away as I smiled. Milly, my bus buddy, chuckled as she gave me a knowing smirk. We could both hear Jamie's rambling about the stats and the players and the minutes played. I just blushed and smirked back at Milly.

The worst was when we played Spain. Again, Jamie couldn't come with me. I thought I was going to be disappointed when we won and he wasn't there. But it was worse when we lost. Worse because then I had to wait until we got home to see him and that was almost more unbearable. I could just see him with his sad puppy eyes waiting to comfort me. I didn't want comfort.

I mean I did. But not from him, I was embarrassed. I'd flubbed a pass in my limited time on the field, and I felt the sting of guilt radiating off of me. Though my mistake hadn't directly lead to a goal, I couldn't help but wonder if I hadn't would we have won.

But in the end, Spain was just a better team. They were fantastic, and played extremely well. Jamie didn't call me after the match, he just sent me a text saying how proud he was of me and that he'd seem me when I got home. I was dreading it. The sympathy and pity that would spill out. Jamie Tartt didn't lose games.

Okay, that wasn't true Jamie Tartt had lost a lot of games. But for some reason I was embarrassed that I had lost this game. The car pulled up outside my house and I just had to wait. Forcing myself to stand outside the front door as I worked up the courage to go inside.

The house was weirdly quiet. That was until I walked into the kitchen.

"Surprise!" Jamie jumped out, blowing a noise maker. Above the table, Jamie had hung the same 'Congrats' banner that I'd gotten for him. On the table was a cake and pizza, all the food I wasn't allowed to eat during the season along with a bouquet of all my favorite flowers.

I stared at the set up, all my favorite things, and my favorite person, wearing my jersey. But all I could do was cry. I burst into tears, my bags falling to the ground as I tried to cover my face. Jamie's face fell immediately and he threw his little party hat onto the counter as he raced towards me.

"What's the matter? What'd I do?" he calmed, taking me in his arms. I let out a sob, terrified at the thought that he thought he did something wrong. "Ah! No, it's okay, it's okay, love. What is it? The flowers? I told Roy that you liked daisies and not tulips."

I shook my head, wiping away the tears. "No, no, no, Jamie, no." I reached out and took his cheeks in my hands, needing to feel his skin. "No, you did nothing wrong, you're so amazing. This is amazing."

"I'm just... I was just..." I pouted, the very image of a pity case. "I was expecting you to be all sympathetic and sad for me. And here you are just..." I gestured wildy. "Ready to be excited for me."

"Why would I be sad?" Jamie asked, cocking his head. "England got second in the whole world. That's amazing."

He was right, of course. Here I'd been guilting myself and beating myself up over a lost game. My lip quivered.

"Thank you, Jamie," I said, smally.

He shook his head, chuckling as he pulled me into his chest. I wrapped my arms around his waist, reveling in his strength, the way his arms squeezed me with just the right amount of pressure.

"I'm dead proud of you, really am, kid," he murmured into my ear. "You were bloody brilliant."

And I believed him.

[emerald-truth]

TRENT CRIMM IS WRITING A BOOK ABOUT RICHMOND?? IS THIS A FUCKING FANFIC?????

ALSO THAT LAST SCENE WHERE TED FLIRTS WITH BOTH HIM AND ROY? WHAT IS HAPPENING??????

I’M JUST HAPPY TO EVEN SEE TRENT FOR MORE THAN FIVE SECONDS AND HERE WAS THERE FOR LIKE TEN MINUTES I’M LOSING MY MIND

only problem with the episode was they didn’t play (I don’t want to go to) chelsea

[willalove75]

New Girl on the Pitch Pt. 6

Pairing: Rebecca Welton x f!reader

Summary: Your friend Keeley brings you in as the team's social media manager, Rebecca is impressed, in more ways than one.

Words:

Warnings: 18+ minors DNI

Tags: flirty, fluff, slow burn, smut

Notes: Part 6! This is a little bit of a shorter, one-off chapter! You and Rebecca head to the South of France for a getaway during the off season. I wasn't planning on making this so smutty but oh wellll! So enjoy the fluffy smut!

You've never been to the south of France before, or anywhere in France for that matter, but you're convinced that it's heaven on Earth. Rebecca rented a "beach house" aka a massive mansion for your trip and you've both been having the time of your lives. You both agreed that as soon as you step off of the plane, the outside world disappears. No work, no social media, no talk of football or the players, the only thing the both of you want to do is be as present with each other as possible. The trip couldn't have come at a better time, Richmond was relegated at the end of the last season and with the new season coming up in a few weeks, the stress was starting to get to the both of you. The two of you have been in France for a few days already and you've done a lot of exploring and sightseeing. Today's agenda was to relax, to be with each other and hang out.

"Y/n, come in here!" Rebecca calls to you from the bedroom.

"One sec!"

You walk into the bedroom and Rebecca has a small box in her hand and gives it to you.

"Oh, what's this?" You ask, taking the box.

"A fun little surprise." Rebecca says with a smirk.

"Uh-huh," you say acknowledging the look in her eyes. Inside the box you see a pair of black panties. "What is this?"

"Put them on!"

Playfully rolling your eyes, you take off your underwear and put the new pair on. Rebecca pulls out her phone and a second later you feel a vibration on your clit. The sensation takes you by surprise and you moan, your knees going weak for a moment.

"I fucking knew it." You gasp. "Rebecca Welton!" You say as she brings the vibration up again.

Rebecca walks up to you and just barely brushes her lips against yours.

"Do you like your present?" She whispers.

Just as you're about to respond she increases the vibration again. "Yes." You moan.

She kisses your neck, as you go to grab onto her waist she pulls away and you let out a whine in opposition.

"Would you look at that, it's just about lunch time." Rebecca says, looking at her empty wrist. She walks away into the kitchen.

"You're such a tease!" You whine the last word of your sentence because Rebecca spiked the vibration and you hear her chuckle.

In the kitchen Rebecca is making lunch, you lean on the island and watch her, biting your bottom lip. Both of you decided today was a clothes-optional day. You decided to hang out in your underwear and a cropped t-shirt and Rebecca has been walking around in one of her lacy bras and pajama shorts. She turns around, catching you checking her out and smirks at you.

"You're just going to torture me all day aren't you?"

"Maybe I will, maybe I'll be nice, who knows?" She playfully replies, putting a plate down in front of you.

Rebecca carefully watches you as you eat, just as you're bringing the fork to your lips she pulses the vibration, forcing you to drop the fork back onto your plate.

"Fuck!" You cry. "You're so mean!"

After a painfully slow lunch, Rebecca sits on the couch and you lay your head in her lap. She gently brushes her fingers through your hair as she gently plays with the vibration, slowly increasing the intensity and slowly decreasing it. Every time you feel an orgasm beginning to build, she takes it away, you try your hardest to focus on the television but you're starting to lose your mind.

"Getting restless love?" Rebecca asks, glancing down at you.

"Yes." You grumble.

Rebecca lets out a laugh and kisses your forehead and you pout.

"Oh what's the matter my love?" She asks playfully.

"You know damn well what the problem is!" You try to look mad but the shockwaves being sent through your body give you more of a desperate look than a mad one.

"Come on, lets go lay outside." She says lifting your head off of her lap and taking your hand.

You follow her outside and she pulls you down next to her on one of the lounge chairs. The mansion is fairly secluded with a stunning view over the town and the water but there aren't any other nearby houses for miles.

Rebecca plays with the vibration more, increasing the speed of the waves. You bite down on your lip trying to hold back the moan, you know no one can hear you, but being outside makes you feel vulnerable.

Rebecca's finger slides under your chin, pulling up so you can look into her eyes.

"Let me hear you baby." She says, upping the intensity. Your eyes roll back and you let out a moan.

"Fuck, Rebecca." You whine as your orgasm builds.

"Good girl." She coos, placing a light kiss on your lips.

You deepen the kiss when she raises the vibration, moaning into her mouth, tangling your fingers into her hair. She adjusts on the chair so you're both facing each other. Rebecca slides her thigh between your legs and presses up against your heat, making the vibrations more intense. Grabbing onto her tighter you moan into her more as your orgasm builds, you start to grind on her leg and she grinds back, slowly increasing the vibrations once more.

A knot builds in your belly as you grow desperate for the release. Rebecca pulls her lips away from yours and begins to suck on your neck, your moans ringing out into the open air.

"Fuck baby, I'm so close."

"I know baby, I know, just a little more." She says, raising the intensity of the vibration.

Your hips begin to buck on her leg and she presses harder into you making you see stars.

"Oh my god I'm gonna cum." You cry.

"Not yet baby, hold on for just a little longer."

The knot in your belly increases and you feel yourself starting to clench around nothing as your whines get louder, trying desperately to hold on.

"You're doing so well baby, just like that." She quickens the pace of the wave, the vibrations intensity at its highest.

"Becca- baby- I'm gonna- please!" You cry out.

"You're such a good girl, cum for me baby, let it out." She whispers as she sucks hard on your pulse point.

"FUCK!"

Your eyes roll back and your body shakes as you scream, grinding hard on Rebecca's leg she keeps up the intensity making you ride it out.

Aftershocks rock your body as you twitch against her trying to catch your breath.

Rebecca pulls you in for a deep kiss while you recover, you feel the sweat drip down your back as you roll into her.

"Come on," she says, pulling away from you. "Lets cool off."

She stands up and pulls down her shorts and thong that matches her bra, she reaches behind her back and unclips her bra, letting it fall off to the ground. Reaching out to grab your hand, you reach out and let her help you off of the lounge chair. You pull off your shirt, not bothering to put on your bra this morning, and pull off the drenched panties. She leads you into the pool, the cool water soothing your burning skin. Wrapping your arms around Rebecca's neck and legs around her waist, she holds you tight as you two float in the water.

The two of you gaze into each others eyes, her green eyes sparkle so beautifully in the sun, even when she has to squint. You tuck a piece of hair behind her ear and caress her cheek with your thumb, studying the details of her face.

"I love you, Rebecca."

"I love you too, y/n."

Your lips gently meet, you feel her wrap her arms tighter around you and your fingers tighten their grip around the back of her head. Her tongue flicks across yours when they meet and you gently moan into her mouth. You feel her smile into the kiss as it slows, once more staring into each others eyes when your lips finally part.

"Is this real life?" You ask, staring into her eyes.

"I think so. There's only one way to find out." You see a mischievous look in her eyes and you realize she's walking back towards the deep end of the pool.

"Oh my god no!" You squeal, holding onto her tighter.

Rebecca tightens her grip around you and pulls you under the water with her as she slides down the drop. Her strong legs walk you both back up, breaking through the surface. After you take a breath the two of you burst into laughter as you cling to her.

You hold her tight and you feel her place wet kisses on your neck.

"You are SO mean!" You say between laughs.

Rebecca only responds with kissing you once more, smiling as her lips meet yours. You rest your forehead against hers, you feel the water droplets running down your face as you nuzzle your nose against hers.

"Can I tell you a secret?" You quietly say.

Rebecca looks into your eyes.

"Not only do I love you more than I've ever loved anyone before in my life, but you're also my best friend. There's no one else I'd rather be here with than you."

You notice a shift in Rebecca's eyes, almost similar to how they shifted when you first told her you loved her. She brings her hand to the back of your head and pulls you into her.

"Don't tell Sass, but you're my best friend too. I love you so much y/n. I hope one day I'm able to show you how much you truly mean to me."

The two of you float, holding each other close in a peaceful silence.

Some times passes and you get out of the pool and walk over to the outdoor shower and quickly shower. You sigh as Rebecca's fingers scratch at your scalp when she massages the shampoo into your hair. After you dry off you go back inside and get ready for dinner. A car comes and picks you up and brings you to a fancy restaurant.

The two of you enjoy your meal with a few glasses of wine. Most of the night you found yourself captivated by her gorgeous eyes, even when you weren't paying attention you always found yourself with a smile on your face as you listened to her talk.

Back at the house after dinner the two of you curl into each other in bed. With her head on your chest, you run your hair through Rebecca's blond locks, placing soft kisses on the top of her head and temples as the two of you talk about nothing in particular. Her responses become slower and slower until she stops responding all together. You hear her breathing even out and you know she's fallen asleep. Carefully adjusting yourself under her you place a kiss on her forehead.

"Good night Rebecca. I love you."

[threewaywithdelusion]

RoyJamieKeeley Fic

Still working on my RoyJamieKeeley post-S3 fic. I got stuck again for a while, but I got unstuck tonight, so he's a little snippet to celebrate.

A few days later, Keeley and Jamie left for Brazil for Jamie’s Nike shoot. Left alone for a week, Roy tried to keep busy so he wouldn’t think about them. He spent time with Phoebe, who was starting to get impatient for summer holiday but could be convinced to spend all her wayward energy on playing football with Roy. He saw the yoga mums twice, once for actual yoga and once for a night of drinking wine, watching rom coms, and gossiping. He told them he’d gotten back together with his ex-girlfriend and they all smiled and told him how happy they were for him and how much more of a grump he’d been without her. Roy didn’t mention that said girlfriend was dating another man at the same time and told himself it was just leaving out unimportant information and not actually lie, but he wasn’t sure he believed himself. 

Roy also had a meeting with Rebecca, who told him she wanted to promote him to manager of Richmond. He called her mad to her face and she still seemed to think giving him the job was a good idea. 

“I don’t want to do press conferences and shit,” Roy said. 

Rebecca was unfazed. “Here are my options, Roy. I can make you manager, which is a job I think you’ll be good at. You know football, you know these boys, and they trust you, which makes you the best fit. I can make Nate manager, which I don’t particularly want to do after he defected to West Ham last year. He has experience and the boys seem to have forgiven him, but I don’t trust him enough yet to give him that much power. The other option is to bring in someone from outside the club. Higgins gave me a list of candidates and a lot of them are very qualified and are interested in working for Richmond now that we placed second in the Premier League, because they think they can get us a trophy next year. However, anyone I bring in is going to have their own style and they’re going to undo all the hard work Ted’s done over the past three years. And what Ted did, however unconventional, has been working for us. So, if you don’t take the job, any thoughts on how I should proceed?”

Roy grunted. It was a good argument and Rebecca knew it. 

Roy liked coaching Richmond. He didn’t really want to work with some new shitbag coach who would come in acting like he knew anything. Who might tell the team to stop playing total football or take that shitty, ripped-up “believe” sign off the wall. Who might not flip Jamie off in the middle of a game or push him to go back out even with an injured ankle. Who might not support Sam’s protests when they cost the club their main sponsor or might not like the fact that Colin had a boyfriend. Who might not defend Isaac in a post-game interview after Isaac attacked a fan in the stands for his homophobic comments or who would hear that famous women got their private photos leaked and react with less horror than the rest of the Richmond boys. 

Roy liked the culture Ted had created at Richmond. Sure, his methods had been downright insane at times, but they’d worked. This was a team that respected Keeley and Rebecca, that accepted Colin, and that tried to be good people as much as they tried to be good footballers. 

Roy didn’t want to lose that. 

“Fuuuuck,” he said, a curse of resignation and realization. 

Rebecca knew him far too well at this point, because she just smiled victoriously. “I’ll have Higgins send you the paperwork this week. We’re also going to be looking at player transfers, so I’ll send you tapes for anyone we’re considering. Do you have any thoughts about which players we should take a look at?”

Roy grunted. He’d had this job for all of three seconds and Rebecca was already giving him work. He hadn’t even told Keeley yet. 

“We need a centre back with more speed,” he said. 

“Noted,” Rebecca said. 

On the way home, Roy felt a strange kind of loneliness take over him. 

He’d gotten a promotion and even though he’d resisted it, he kind of wanted to celebrate. Like when Keeley had been made a CEO of her own company and they’d popped champagne and Roy had spun her around and they’d fallen into bed together. 

But Keeley was halfway around the world with Jamie. On vacation, even though she’d refused to go on vacation with Roy to Marbella last year. And Roy knew it was different — this was a work trip with some fun thrown in — but Keeley was just restarting her business with Rebecca as the main investor and she couldn’t possibly be less busy than she’d been last year. 

A tiny, mean voice in Roy’s head said that the difference was Jamie. That Roy hadn’t been worth the time away from the office, but Jamie was. 

Roy shoved the thought away. 

He went home to his big empty house and stared at the bottle of champagne in the fridge. He couldn’t tell the yoga mums he’d been promoted because they still believed he was an accountant and he had no fucking clue what accountants did or what the fuck their position was when they got promoted. Plus, he didn’t want to spend all evening lying about the job he was celebrating. 

The team was scattered around the world, visiting their home countries and families while they were on summer holiday. What other friends did Roy have? Keeley, who was his girlfriend again? Jamie, who was Keeley’s other boyfriend and was also not in the country? Rebecca, who was more his friend through the transitive property than anything and was also his boss?

Fuck this. 

Roy took the bottle from the fridge. He was about to pop the cork and drink straight from the bottle when his phone dinged with an incoming message. 

It was a series of photos from Keeley, showing her and Jamie shopping. One photo showed Keeley in a dressing room, trying on a dress that made her look fucking amazing. Another showed Jamie with about fifty bags dangling from his arms, posing like he was lifting weights. Keeley was standing beside him, holding one tiny bag, and grinning widely at having a fit footballer to play her pack mile. Then there was a picture of Keeley standing next to a suitcase with a price tag on it, presumably something she was buying to bring all her new clothes back to England, a cute guilty smile on her face. The last picture showed the two of them in a store, both wearing black leather jackets. The one on Keeley was ridiculously oversized and the comical frowns on both of their faces told Roy that they were dressing up as him. 

Another text arrived from Keeley. 

Miss you! Do you want either of these jackets?

Roy was very picky about his leather jackets, something that Keeley had learned early in their first go at a relationship when she’d tried to buy him a present. It may seem like Roy put no effort into his all-black look, but he was very particular about what clothes he thought was worth buying. 

It was sweet of Keeley to ask. 

Send a video, Roy texted back. 

A minute later, his phone dinged. The video was of Keeley in a dressing room, wearing a shimmery grey dress with one of the Roy-sized leather jackets over it. Roy had clearly interrupted her in the middle of trying on half the store because there were clothes over every inch of the dressing room. Keeley did a little spin for the camera and Roy caught Jamie’s reflection in the dressing room mirror, smiling at Keeley like he was in love. 

Fuck. 

Would Roy have had that indulgent, lovestruck expression on his face if Keeley had dragged him shopping for stupid graffiti clothes for Jamie? This was Jamie’s holiday with Keeley and she was still taking the time to message Roy and Jamie didn’t seem to mind at all. 

Roy’s phone dinged again, this time a message from Jamie. It was another video, showing Jamie walking along a wall of all-black clothes, including at least four different leather jackets. 

“I think we found your store, mate,” Jamie said, panning the camera so Roy could see the words John John lit up in the back over the counter. 

Fuck. Roy was being a sorry sad sack and a bit of a prick. And he absolutely refused to be the biggest prick in a relationship that included Jamie Tartt. 

You look beautiful, he sent Keeley. I like the jacket Jamie was wearing. 

Keeley sent back a series of smiley face emojis. 

Roy called her and she picked up on the second ring. “Hi, babe? How’s London?”

“I miss you,” Roy said. It was probably the easiest thing he’d ever said. Usually, Roy had trouble expressing any emotion that wasn’t anger and he knew that. But missing Keeley was all-consuming. It was a physical ache inside him, just as real as the pain from his knee, and he didn’t know how not to say it. 

“I miss you too,” Keeley said. 

“How’s Brazil?” Roy asked. 

“It’s good! I think the photoshoot with Nike went really well. They might offer Jamie a larger deal as a brand ambassador when we get back, but don’t tell Jamie that. I’m negotiating right now and I’m not sure it’ll go through.”

“I’m sure it well,” Roy said. “You’re a brilliant negotiator.”

“You’ve never seen me negotiate,” Keeley said. 

“Sure I have,” Roy said. “What about that time you convinced me to try being a pundit.”

“That was in your best interest, and I’m pretty sure we were arguing.”

“Or that time you convinced me to go to that launch party for that watch company you were promoting.”

“You have to admit, that was great press,” Keeley said. “Everyone’d heard the story about your ex stealing your Rolex, so you replacing the Rolex with a John Hubert watch really connected the two brands in everyone’s minds.”

“Well what about the time you convinced me to both cook and do the dishes when I made you a fancy dinner?”

“I bribed you with blowjobs,” Keeley said. “I don’t think I can use the same strategy here.”

Roy laughed. He felt so much better after talking to Keeley for just five minutes. Suddenly, he didn’t care that she was a continent away. He still wanted to tell her the good news. 

“Is Jamie there?” he asked. 

“He’s in his own dressing room,” Keeley said. 

Roy was surprised. He figured Keeley and Jamie would take shopping as a chance to watch each other strip in the same dressing room. But he knew fuck all about shopping, so maybe it wasn’t that weird that they were in two different stalls. 

“Can you get him?” 

There was a long pause that Roy knew was Keeley working through her surprise before she said, “Yeah, just a sec.” Her voice sounded slightly farther away as she called “Jamie!”

A moment later Keeley’s voice came out sounding a little more robotic. “You’re on speaker, babe.”

Roy cleared his throat. “I talked to Rebecca today. She made me manager.”

“What?” Keeley said, sounding stunned. 

Yeah, maybe he should have worked up to that instead of announcing it right out the gate. 

“She gave me Ted’s job,” Roy repeated. 

A whoop went up from Jamie, so loud that Roy had to pull the phone away from his head so he wouldn’t blow out his eardrums. 

“Congrats, mate! That’s fucking mint.”

Roy grunted. He didn’t say that he was bricking it over trying to fill Ted’s shoes, but Keeley must have released because she said, “You’re going to be amazing, babe. I’m so proud of you!”

“I don’t know,” Jamie said. “I mean, mostly Roy’s been coaching me so far. I’ve got more talent than all the boys on the team and I’m a pleasure to coach, so you can’t measure Roy’s success by how brilliant a player I am.”

“You’re a fucking nightmare to coach,” Roy said, even though it wasn’t actually true. Jamie did anything Roy said, even when it was embarrassing or he was pushing his body beyond what most coaches would demand of him. Roy liked telling Jamie what to do and seeing how hard he would work to achieve the impossible, even when the only reward was a little grunt from Roy. 

“I guess we’ll see if you can bring the other lads up to my level,” Jamie said, cockiness and disbelief in Roy’s coaching skills rolling together in his voice. 

Weirdly, Jamie’s pestering filled Roy with confidence that he could do this. He would be the best damn manager Richmond had ever seen, if only to prove to Jamie that he was wrong. 

“Be careful what you wish for,” Keeley told Jamie sweetly and that buoyed Roy the rest of the way up. Keeley believed in him. She believed in him enough to tell Jamie to suck it, even if she did it in nicer terms. 

Roy wanted to tell her he loved her, but the first time he told her after they got back together couldn’t be over the phone, with Jamie listening in, while Keeley was on another continent. 

Instead, Roy just said, “At least I know what the fucking offside rule is.”

Jamie and Keeley both laughed, though Jamie laughed harder. Roy wasn’t sure Keeley knew the offside rule, which was a travesty given how many footballers she’d dated.

“Well celebrate when I get back,” Keeley said. “That’s wonderful news, babe. I’m so happy for you.”

They said their goodbyes and when Roy hung up the phone, he felt a lot more determined and a lot less alone. 

He checked his inbox to find an email from Higgins with his new contract and and some player files with stats and videos. Several promising young players were listed, as well as some old-timers on their way to retirement from some of the better clubs. 

He poured himself a glass of champagne and settled in to do his job. 

[asteria-argo]

🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

thank you for the sunflowers! Some more Sam pov from To All The Better Places!

Jamie looks…tired, when the last of the kids have left for the day. Not just the kind of tired that accompanies long work days either, the bone deep, unending kind of tired that Sam has felt so very often when Richmond was on a losing streak or Ola’s was in disarray. The second the last kid was out the door with a cheerful goodbye, Jamie’s pleasant, warm demeanour was gone and replaced with nothing but sheer exhaustion as he sat back in his desk with his head in his hands and a quiet groan. He looked frazzled, in a way he hadn’t even in the library that morning, his hair askew and the sleeves of his jumper rolled up to his elbows. It was strange, seeing Jamie like this. Vulnerable, not because he trusted Sam to see it, but because Sam had found himself on the other side of Jamie’s walls and armour entirely against both of their wills. The privacy of the life Jamie had built himself shattered because of something entirely out of their control. But this was where they were, and while Sam could not say he particularly liked or trusted this new version of Jamie that was in front of him yet, he didn’t have a reason not too. It was hard, to hold a grudge against someone who looked like they wanted nothing more than to disappear under your gaze.

[tomorrowusa]

Recently UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ruled out holding a general election on May 2nd – the date many localities are holding elections.

So now we have a better understanding why there won't be a spring general election.

According to an extensive survey, if elections for the House of Commons were held now, Conservatives might end up with fewer than 100 seats in the 650 seat chamber. By comparison, Conservatives won 365 seats in the last election in December of 2019. Expressions like catastrophe and wipe-out are appropriate in describing the Conservatives' likely electoral fate.

The Conservatives are on course for their worst election result, winning fewer than 100 seats, according to a new poll. The seat-by-seat analysis gives the Tories 98 constituencies compared with Labour’s 468, giving Sir Keir Starmer a 286-seat majority, the Sunday Times has reported. The 15,000-person poll, conducted by agency Survation on behalf of Best for Britain, gives Labour a 45% vote share with a 19-point lead over the Conservatives. Rishi Sunak’s party is on track to win 98 seats with none in Scotland or Wales, according to the research. It also suggests the prime minister is at risk of losing his own constituency, the new Richmond & Northallerton seat in North Yorkshire, to Labour with his lead less than 2.5 percentage points. The analysis forecasts that Reform UK will come second in seven seats and achieve an overall vote share of 8.5%, just behind the Liberal Democrats on 10.4% The poll also suggests the Scottish National Party would pick up 41 seats, the Liberal Democrats 22 and Plaid Cymru two.

The London based betting company Smarkets currently gives Labour chief Sir Keir Starmer a 90.91% chance of becoming prime minister after the next election. Incumbent Rishi Sunak gets just 2.50%; that's even behind Conservative Ben Wallace, a former defence chief, who currently is not even in government.

Of the 21 UK general elections since VE Day in 1945, 11 have been held in May or June. Only 1 was held in July with none in August or September. Although there hasn't been an October election since 1974 (the last of four since 1945), my guess is that Rishi Sunak may just wish to get it all over with by that point; on October 25th he will have been PM for two full years.

[thisismysecondrodeo]

School Daze - Chapter 2

AN: Whoops my fingers slipped and this is now a multichapter series (at least 3 chapters if I had to guess lol). I will eventually post this on ao3 as well once it's complete!

Rating: General (series becomes Explicit)

Tags: Michelle Lasso, Henry Lasso, Second Chance Romance, Alternate Universe - College/University, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Time Skips, Ted and Beard have the purest friendship, Ted Lasso Deserves Love, Getting Together

Part 1 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Fic Masterlist

-

“You said your friend Beard told you to ask me out in college? Was that the guy you used to leave theater with?”

You were sitting at Ted’s kitchen table, wearing a barbeque t-shirt he had probably purchased around the time the two of you first met, sipping at a mug of coffee. The man in question was standing in front of the stove, cooking eggs for the two of you, in flannel pants and no shirt. Looking at his broad shoulders and the smattering of freckles on his back only reminded you of last night, and you had to avert your eyes to stay focused. It wasn’t like you to sleep with someone so soon after meeting them, but he somehow felt like an old friend and a complete stranger at the same time. It was exciting and novel, and if you thought about it too hard you might freak out a little bit but you’d save that for after breakfast. 

“Mmhmm, sure was.” 

“Whatever happened to him,” you questioned, as Ted slid eggs and buttered toast onto a plate and sat it in front of you, before taking the seat diagonal to you so your knees brushed under the table. 

Ted chuckled, leaning back to look at the clock over the stove, “Oh, he’ll be here in…about 30 minutes, actually.” You sputtered on your coffee, not expecting that the frail friend from theater would be in Richmond with Ted. “We coached together at Wichita State and then when I got the invite to come out here, I was pleased as punch he was willin’ to go on this adventure with me.” 

“That’s sweet that y’all are so close,” you said with a smile. “I wonder if he still remembers me?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t bet against it because that’s a bet you’d lose,” Ted chuckled. “Beard’s got a mind like a vault.” 

The two of you ate in comfortable quiet, sneaking glances and blushing between bites. 

“I don’t usually—”

“So how long are you—” 

You accidentally spoke in unison, both of you encouraging the other to go first until you finally acquiesced. “I was trying to say, I don’t usually…move so quickly. But it was such a pleasure running into you and, uh, well, you don’t feel like a stranger. What I’m trying to say is, I know Beard will be here in 30 minutes, but I’d like to see you again. If you’re interested.” 

Ted looked down at his plate, a tendril of brown hair falling over his eye and a blush creeping up from his chest to the tips of his ears. “Well, I was tryin’ to ask how long you’d be in town, because I would really, really would like to see you again. Make up for old times, so to speak.” 

“I’d like that a lot,” you locked eyes with Ted and the two of you got a little lost, but the rattle of his phone on the countertop pulled you back to the present. “Ah, you gotta go to work. My hotel has a great restaurant if you want to get dinner tonight? I have one more week here.”

Ted stood up and cleared the plates, checking the message on his phone, “Beard’s running a few minutes late, buys us some time. Dinner sounds just lovely and I will be there faster than you can say 'Jack Robinson.' Now, could I interest you in a shower and a change of clothes?” 

You laughed, pushing away from the table and following Ted into the bedroom you were much more acquainted with now. “Oh, if we share a shower we’re going to need more than a few minutes,” you teased, tugging playfully at the drawstrings on his lounge pants and watching his pupils expand. 

The two of you managed to make it out of the door on time, your clothes from the day before tucked into one of Ted’s farmer’s market tote bags, and your coat covering up Ted’s borrowed clothing. Beard stood at the bottom of the stairs, a cup of coffee in each hand, an arched brow the only sign that he was at all surprised to see you. 

“Y/N. Long time no see!” 

“Beard, I presume. A pleasure to officially meet you. I’ll let you two get to work.” 

Ted took his coffee and you made to head in the opposite direction, but before you could take a step away, he tugged you gently by the arm to get your attention. “Let me know you made it back, okay?” You smiled and nodded, touched at his concern. He cut his eyes over at Beard before ducking and pressing a sweet kiss to your cheek. 

Despite being in your 20s when you met, something about Ted always made you feel like a schoolgirl. As you walked away, you pressed a hand to where his lips had met your skin and grinned to yourself. 

22 Years Ago

“I’m telling you, Ted, she’s so into you! You shouldn’t give up.”

Beard was reclining in the beanbag chair Ted kept in the corner of his dorm room, a half-smoked joint in one hand and a cup of instant noodles in the other. Ted was on his narrow twin bed, tossing a tennis ball at the ceiling again and again. 

“I’m not giving up,” he protested, catching the ball one last time before sitting up to look at his constant companion. “I just think, ya know, if it was meant to be she wouldn’t be so hard to find again! I’m just gonna…let the universe take it from here. Maybe we’ll have a class again next semester.” 

Beard was unassuaged, his eyebrows furrowing. “Fine. But I bet you $100 right now that she’s the one. To be paid on your and Y/N’s wedding day.” Beard stuck out a bony hand and Ted rolled his eyes, a small smile as he shook reluctantly. 

“Whatever you say Beard-o,” Ted sighed as he fell back onto his bed. He didn’t know how Beard could be so confident about it, but it seemed harmless if a little childish. 

Though the semester was over, Ted was taking summer classes and he still held out hope he might see you around. He wouldn’t say he was actively looking but he certainly kept his eyes peeled—which is how he noticed Michelle a few weeks later, the only other person in an empty university parking lot.

Beard kept his thoughts mostly to himself when Ted told him about Michelle; his money was still on you, as he reminded Ted. Ted just shook his head, throwing on a jacket to meet Michelle for ice cream.

And when he and Michelle got married, Beard silently paid up. 

Present

“I can feel you thinking, Coach, what’s on your mind?”

Ted and Beard stood shoulder to shoulder on the side of the pitch, Roy busy clomping around behind the slower players. Beard took a deep breath before responding, folding his arms tightly across his chest. 

“Was surprised to see Y/N this morning, that’s all.” 

“Ain’t that something,” Ted asked, immediately enthusiastic, “after all those years and she’s just…here! And divorced, like me.” 

“I guess that’s what I’m stuck on Coach, what’s she doing here? Now?” 

Ted looked over at his best friend, taking off his aviators in surprise, “Come on now, Coach. You’re not suggesting that she’s out to get me, are you? You used to be her number one fan!”

“Yeah, well, things change in 20 years, Coach. I’m happy for you, but you know I’m always looking out for you too,” Beard said gruffly, before stepping onto the pitch with Roy and blowing his whistle to round everyone up. Ted stayed where he was, hands on his hips, mulling over the nature of romance and coincidences.

-

You left your hotel for some sightseeing and shopping, a new outfit tucked under your arm for your date with Ted, and when you returned Beard was sitting in the lobby. He was wearing his hat pulled low over his brow and he reclined against the couch in his training clothes. You stopped in your tracks before making your way over to him. 

“Hello, Beard,” you had a hint of suspicion in your tone you didn’t attempt to hide. “Didn’t expect to see you so soon. I imagine this isn’t just a coincidence?”

“No, no it is not,” Beard shook his head, sliding over slightly to make room for you to sit. “Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?” 

You set your bag down on the floor before sitting at the end of the couch, your body angled towards his. “Depends, can I ask you some first?” Beard gave you a go-ahead gesture so you asked, “how did you know where I was?”

“Ted mentioned the two of you were getting dinner here, I put two and two together.” 

“And where does Ted think you are?” Beard didn’t say that this was a secret excursion, but he didn’t have to. 

“Lunch with my girlfriend, Jane.” You didn’t know that you were worried that Beard was the one here to confess his love until he said he had a girlfriend and you immediately released a sigh of relief. 

“Little creepy,” you responded matter-of-factly. There weren’t any other people floating around the lobby besides staff here and there but you lowered your voice anyway. 

“That was my nickname in college,” Beard joked, and you knew he was joking despite the lack of any emotion on his face. 

“Well, then I’m glad I didn’t know you better.” 

That got a genuine laugh from Beard, a sharp bark of amusement that surprised both of you. It effectively reduced the tension between the two of you but you still didn’t know why he’d sought you out. 

“So what can I do for you?”

Beard sighed, crossing one leg over the other and folding his hands on his knee. It seemed like the idea of saying a lot of words to you was making him preemptively tired.

“I have been Ted’s best friend for a very long time. I remember you, well, actually. And to be honest, I was rooting for you,” that admission surprised you, your eyebrows raising, but you didn’t interrupt, “but you disappeared off the face of the Earth and now here you are and I guess I just…I’m trying to keep my oldest friend from falling too hard, too fast and you disappearing again.”

It wasn’t what you expected—it was a little codependent but well-meaning and, more importantly, valid. Your lips tightened into a slight grimace that Beard must have taken to mean you weren’t sure how to answer, so he phrased it as a question, “So I guess I’m asking as politely as I can, where did you go and why are you back?”

“No, it's a fair question. And I figured it would be something Ted and I would talk about eventually though I do appreciate your…proactive…friendship. In short, I didn’t know Ted was looking for me; when he didn’t call I thought we’d just missed our chance. The two of you didn’t see me again because I dropped out, which is a much longer story and I didn’t go back until after you all had graduated.” Beard listened intently, a wince of embarrassment when you mentioned dropping out and he realized he was asking after something rather sensitive. 

“By the time I was in a place to even think about Ted, I looked him up and he was married. And then I got married, and,” you trailed off, waving your hand in the air in a vague way to communicate ‘you know, life.’ Beard just nodded. You weren’t annoyed by Beard asking like you might be with someone else, partially because he didn’t pry any further and partially because you felt something of a kindred spirit in him. He knew what it was like to not have life go your way. “And I’m here because I’m on vacation. It was genuinely a coincidence. A happy one. Serendipity, right?”

“Serendipity,” Beard repeated, a small smile on his face. “I’m sorry for interrogating you. But don’t feel like you need to keep any secrets from Ted, especially not on my behalf. He’s…done a lot for me, and I’ll take any chance I get to attempt to return the favor. Even if it’s a slight overreaction.” 

You just nodded as Beard stood up, clapping his hand on his thighs and adjusting his hat. You were gathering your bags when you realized he hadn’t left and when you looked at him, he winked. “For what it’s worth, I’m still rooting for you.” 

He didn’t wait for you to answer before walking away and you grinned at his retreating back. 

The next time you came down to the lobby, it was Ted on the couch waiting for you, in a navy suit and white shirt, no tie, and a bundle of pink stargazer flowers in one hand. 

He looked perfect. 

<- Part 1 | Part 3 ->

[sunnnnyy]

losing my favourite game

"You think that's how a real professional behaves?" His father grabs for his hair but it's too short to get a good grip so he pushes his head to the side instead. "Fucked it up and now spreading your legs is all you're good for."

Jamie presses his lips together. He wants to retort that surely Roy Kent would have fucked him on the pitch if that were true. But Roy didn't. He left without a second glance.

featuring omegaverse, a smidge of James Tartt Sr, and surprisingly little smut

Read on Ao3

Beginning under the cut

Playing at Nelson Road again is weird. When he’d changed in the dressing room for the visiting team, it had truly sunk in. He’s just a guest here. Had always been a guest, hadn’t he? Thrown out as soon as he started feeling too comfortable. And now Lasso with his stupid “I wish him all the best” mind games. As if he really cared. As if any of the team cared. Not one of them greeted him. Maybe that last night had been a dream. Maybe they hadn’t shared a bottle of Mezcal around their burning sacrifices. Maybe he’d never given up the boots and told them about his mum and his dad.

He warms up on the pitch and Roy Kent watches from the bench. Glaring at him. Jamie throws him a kiss.

Energy is buzzing under his skin. He knows he's showing off, pressing for the first goal, for the win. It doesn't fall in the first half.

Roy Kent is on the pitch for the second half.

He wants to ask him what he's doing. Remind him that he won't be able to keep up with them, that he will make a laughing-stock out of his own career. He doesn't. Tries to be glad Richmond is giving them an easy one. And then the referee blows the whistle and he throws himself back into the game.

He sweats through his kit during the first few minutes but he isn't tired. Everything seems to be sharper. The crowd on the stands, the calls from his teammates. The smell of the grass. The glare of the floodlights. Roy's presence, unavoidable in the back of his mind, always letting him know where he is and how fast Jamie could be by his side. He wants to follow the call, ask Roy what he did to him. But then O’Gara passes him the ball and he doesn’t have time. Roy will still be here after the match.

He takes off. No one is between him and the goal. He can already see the shot, knows where he will bury the ball into the net, just a bit further...

His neck prickles.

Thoughts of a weak knee, of going easy. No. He’ll need to prove himself, to show how much he wants Jamie. That he’ll fight for him.

He runs.

Come on, Alpha. Show me.

Continue on Ao3

[lunar-years]

Yo idk if you’re into this kinda thing but do you have any last minute predictions for tomorrow’s/tonight’s episode? (Ted Lasso)

Based on what we’ve seen in various clips/trailers/the episode stills (so spoiler warning for all that) I think:

-Zava’s wife will decide she hates living in England and Zava’s going to up and leave the team. Effective Immediately. (Not sure if this will be in tonight’s episode but it is definitely coming)

-richmond will unfortunately lose. Again. Badly.

-this man city match is a home game but we know there’s an away man city game later in the season. So I think Jamie’s going to play poorly tonight and still not get his first goal :( this is so it will be more impactful when he crushes it in the next (away) man city match <3

-I’m curious to see if they bring up his dad but I sure hope they do because wow that is a giant gaping thing from s2 that’s been left unresolved. If they’re going to do it (If I had to say I think they will) I think James Sr. will be mentioned tonight but not seen. and then he will come up again more significantly in the second man city Ep.

- we’re finally going to get that keeley/jamie hug from the trailer tonight and both are them are going to be Going Through It. Jamie for aforementioned reasons and Keeley for work fallout with shandy’s bantr screw-up. I know some other people were predicting the team is going to lose bantr as a sponsor. I could kind of see that happening as part of the ~everything’s a heaping mess~ of it all

-maybe someone (beard? Roy?) will finally yell at Ted to stop being so fucking apathetic about this team and maybe start actually paying attention to his job. (Note: i appreciate ted and I recognize he’s having a hard time. But someone needs to say it to him.) this would cause more angst amongst everything else being a total dumpster fire

-the general theme is that everything that could go wrong is going to go wrong tonight I think. So I’m expecting a Trent & Colin confrontation as well. Maybe Colin will misinterpret Trent trying to help him as Trent is going to out him and do something rash? I could kind of see the episode ending on a cliffhanger like that.

What I hope happens: Beard dumps Jane. Rupert suddenly dies offscreen in a shocking plot twist a lá Succession. Jamie & Keeley kiss! next episode Jamie will be panicking so much during ~extra training~ with Roy about having just kissed Keeley that he will momentarily lose his mind and decide the only thing to be done is to kiss Roy, too. To make it even. The logic being Roy can’t be mad at Jamie and/or keeley for kissing one another because he’s gone and kissed jamie, too. If this barely makes sense we can chalk it up to their shared one braincell. This is the start of the Jamie/Roy/keeley endgame of my dreams.

[queerdiazbuckleys]

Roy/Jaime prompt: Jamie is acting strange, completely pale and withdrawn from everyone, even Dani and Sam. He’s playing well, but he shies away from everyone. He gets scared whenever his phone pings with a message. Ted is worried and even Beard is concerned. Roy decides he’s gonna get to the bottom of it but Jamie evades him at every turn until finally Roy had enough and demands answers. When Jamie finally shows him whats on his phone, it's so terrifying EVERYONE goes into protective beast mode

So basically what happened is that Jamie's dad definitely got his phone number again even though Jamie had taken Sharon's advice after the events at Wembley and blocked him as fast as he could. When he got the first message, he just ignored it. He was sure after everything he'd never have to worry James Tartt again. Of course the second they're going to be playing City again, James did actually remember he had a son. Not that Jamie is claiming that anymore either. He does just fine on his own, and with Roy. That's a thing that's going well, too.

Roy finally breaks Jamie down and he has to tell Roy about the messages. Plural. The latest one is almost a threat. James is going to show up whether Jamie gets him in at not. Jamie isn't even sure what that fucking means. Neither is Roy, Jamie's sure he can't know what that means but he's just too fucking freaked out about the idea that he might have to see his dad again that he just lets Roy be angry until he calms down enough to wrap his arms around Jamie. That always helps.

When it's time to go to Manchester, Jamie doesn't say a word the entire bus ride. He knows he needs to get his shit together because they can't lose as horribly as they did the last time. They have to win this game, so he's putting all of his focus on just pushing everything down. He's sitting next to Sam because early on he made Roy promise that he wouldn't be on top of him when he was with the team. It's really made everything between them better, to be honest.

They do share a room at the hotel though. Jamie isn't fucking stupid. It's just, when they get to the hotel to check in the team files in and Jamie hears him before he sees him. James Tartt is having a massive rant at the desk. Jamie finds Roy and goes to stand behind him, like he thinks that means he won't be seen - like it'll hide the fact that the entire fucking Richmond team is standing there and no one is fucking saying anything. Jamie can feel Roy's entire body stiffen up and a fucking growl comes out of him. Jamie doesn't want him to attack because that means that he won't be standing in front of Jamie like a fucking shield. Jamie needs that right now.

It turns out to be okay because Ted and Beard go over together. James looks like he's going to throw a fit or some fists and then Ted says something Jamie can't hear to the hotel manager who's come out because of the commotion. It almost seems anti-climactic. A security person takes James out and he rants, spots Jamie, and starts screaming, but Jamie pretends not to hear him, and Roy reaches for his wrist protectively.

Jamie isn't sure how he's going to sleep tonight or play tomorrow but he'll find away. He knows he'll find a way.