#Sam obisanya x reader | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

jamiefartt · 10 days

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run the world; part one.

masterlist, part 2.

pairings: Jamie Tartt x reader, a bit of Sam Obisanya x reader.

summary: as the striker for AFC Richmond's very first women's team, the pressure is on. you're desperate to bond with the men's team, especially their number 9. so when your captains make you two train together, you find special ways to make it fun for both of you.

words: 10.6k

warnings: mean Jamie obvi, no smut but def some sexual jokes and tension, alcohol and chugging but nothing gross.

———

metal studs click against the ground as you bounce on the balls of your feet. stretching your neck, you look down at your blue boots before craning your neck back up, eyes gliding over the number 8 in front of you and moving towards the ceiling. the dugout is hot and tense, shoulders grazing those of the opposing team. Manchester United's red and yellow kit starkly contrasts the pink and purple of yours, and while their socks are black, yours are a bright white. you bring your right hand up to your chest, rubbing small circles as you try soothing your heart. sliding it down, you trace the large letters printed on the front of your shirt; KBPR. loud music plays over the speakers of Nelson Road Stadium, and you try make out the words over the screams of the crowds. you take a few more deep breaths before suddenly, you're feet are carrying you on to the pitch as if on autopilot.

facing forward, you almost get lost in the swing of the ponytail in front of you, shaking your head and clapping your hands together, forcing your mind into focus. the crowd's cheers tenfold the more players appear from the tunnel, and you look around at the sea of colours in the crowd. you spot a lot of Richmond's bantr branded jerseys in the sea of people, appreciating their effort to support your team despite repping the wrong colours.

"let's go ladies!" you hear someone roar beside you as you approach the middle of the pitch. your head snaps to your left, finding the source of the encouragement. Isaac McAdoo, Richmond men's captain, is leaning over the side screen next to the pitch, borderline folding his torso over it with two fists in the air. next to him, all the Richmond boys line the sideline, all dressed in the women's kit. they clap, cheer, and holler for you all as you make your way to the center circle, stopping right before it to stand shoulder-to-shoulder.

as much as you want to wave to the guys, you're too in your zone, having gotten into game mode in the dugout. you take a few more deep breaths, looking straight ahead of you with a stone cold expression on your face. you look directly at Roy, your team's manager, who matches your demeanor. the teams are introduced, and you take in the crowd's encouragement when Richmond is called out. once dismissed from the line up, you drop to your position in the centre of the pitch. you roll your right sock midway down your shin before pulling the left one up and over your knee, ready to use your right foot to carry your team to victory.

your head goes quiet as you take deep breaths, ignoring the players in front of you, faces and sounds blurring in your mind as you become completely calm. looking around, everyone's faces become unrecognisable as your brain stops registering them, full focus on the ball currently being carried towards you. your team captain, Gia, holds the ball towards you, clearly having won the coin toss. her face is the only one you can decipher, and she smiles at you despite your inability to return the gesture with the cold expression that comes from your focus.

"fucking kill 'em." she mutters to you, pushing the ball into your hands. you give her a curt nod as you watch her features merge together into an indistinguishable blur. the only thing you can see is the ball, which you place firmly at your feet, and the goal miles away from you. twisting the football into the grass, you take one last deep breath, anxiously awaiting the referee's whistle to signal your cue to kick off the match. in your mind, the stadium goes quiet, even though you know the noise is still deafening. to you, all that matters is the football, your feet, and your role in the team. it's one of your biggest matches of the season, and in order to keep your position as striker you need to impress. Roy trusts you, and knows you can do it, but more often than not your nerves get the best of you, and that way you find it hard to trust yourself.

the first whistle blows, then the halftime whistle, and eventually the final whistle rings through your ears as the crowd roars. you sprint to the side of the pitch, heading straight for Roy as you scream. you wrap your arms around his shoulders and his hand smacks your back. you let go and turn around, Gia running straight into you and holding you tight. as she hugs you, you feel more and more arms press around your frame as your teammates come in for a group hug. the supporters chant and shout for your team, celebrating your 3-2 win. it was tight, and the result was set to be a tie until you scored on a whim in injury time.

you and the girls jump up and down, studs tapping the ground rhythmically as they chant your name. cackling with a loud grin on your face, you're well aware of how hard you're blushing at the praise and attention. you've redeemed your position on the team, knowing you'll be safe as number nine for the rest of the season.

when the pressure around your shoulders loosens, you let go of Gia and lean forward, hands on your knees as you take a few deep breaths. you feel hands slap your back and shoulders in celebration, and the odd hand on your ass as a joke from your friends. your eyes are glued to the grass, noticing how each blade points in a different direction. you notice where they've been flattened by studded boots, how they move in the wind, and even the angle at which they've been cut.

a firm hand on your shoulder interrupts your thinking, and your attention returns to the actual matters at hand. lifting your head, you blink a few times to bring your mind back to the pitch. it's Roy, who silently nods towards the dugout, signaling you to head to the locker room. standing up straight, you huff a sigh before letting an ecstatic smile return to your face. jogging to catch up with your team, you place your hands on Gia's shoulders and hop into the air. the two of you laugh together as the team continues their celebratory shouting all the way to your changing room.

the noise echoes through the stairway as you all flood upstairs, clapping each other on the back and hugging. once you're all in the dressing room, it doesn't stop. you all huddle in the middle of the room and jump up and down as you chant: "we're Richmond till we die! we're Richmond till we die! we know we are, we're sure we are, we're Richmond till we die!"

you're the first to notice the new presence in the room as you stop singing and tap the shoulders of the teammates around you. "guys, guys," you say, trying to get them to turn their attention to Rebecca and Keeley who have just walked in behind Roy. with a satisfied smile on her face, Rebecca winks at you, and you swear your heart almost stops beating in your chest.

"oi!" Roy shouts, finally gaining the attention of the team. he says nothing else, simply cocking his head towards the two women next to him.

"hello ladies," Rebecca says, contentment evident in her voice as well as her expression.

"girls!" Keeley squeals, "you were fucking phenomenal!" she screams as she claps her hands, and everyone immediately matches her energy, clapping and cheering with her.

"yes, indeed," Rebecca interrupts the celebration, "you were all absolutely amazing!"

Keeley continues, smiling up at Rebecca; "which is why we've brought you guys a present... boys, come on in!"

one by one, the Richmond men's team file into the room; Isaac at the front, carrying a bucket of beer bottles, and the rest of the team behind him. they all crowd into the room, and suddenly the spacious changing room starts to feel cramped. you're even a tad embarrassed; you've just come off the pitch so you're sweaty and tired, and your hair is barely even tied up in its elastic anymore. brushing down your shirt, you quickly tighten your ponytail and flatten the top, hoping you look even slightly presentable for the guys. it's not that you want to impress them, but you can't say they're particularly unattractive, so you do your best to smile nicely and stand up straight.

looking down at your feet, you quickly adjust your socks, pushing them both down to the edge of your boots. when you flick your head back up, your eyes meet those of one of the men in front of you. you recognise him immediately; he's Jamie Tartt, Richmond's star striker. of course, you wouldn't dare keep your eyes on him, so you look away quickly. you share a number with him, but you're nowhere near his level at the game.

"girls, I feel like I can confidently say that you all made AFC Richmond incredibly proud today," Isaac begins, booming voice commanding the room, "and we thought that should be celebrated our way!" he drops the bucket of drink at his feet before taking a step back, crossing his arms over his chest. Gia runs towards him, standing in front of the bucket and holding her hands out to stop the girls from approaching.

"wait!" she shouts, "first, a drink for the woman of the match..." a few people's heads turn towards you as you stand with a cheeky grin on your face, knowing it's you. you wouldn't say you're necessarily a cocky person, but you're pretty sure your goal today will go down as one of your best. your captain continues; "y/n! come up here, bitch!"

you stride towards her and Isaac hands you a bottle. easily twisting off the cap with your hand, the girls ooh and aah as you wink at them. they all clap and yell as you chug as much as you can. with a grimace on your face, you shake your head, struggling to swallow the cheap beer. one of the guys smacks your shoulder and you hear him laugh, but your eyes are screwed shut tight as you drink even more, so you can't see who it is. when the last drop of the bottle is drained, you turn it upside down in front of you, nothing spilling out. Gia is the first to go crazy, jumping onto your back and cheering. the whole room erupts in shouts and whoops, and you can feel the beer fizz in your stomach as you laugh. you carry Gia away from the bucket, and everyone rushes forward, reaching for a bottle and cracking them open for each other. you pass on a second beer for now, craving nothing but water after all the excitement.

as much as you share a building, you don't often cross paths with Richmond's men's team. you've been to a few of their games, though, Gia insisting all of you go to show your support, but you've never met them face to face. as you stand off to the side of the crowd, you drag your eyes across them, noticing the height disparities, the flashing smiles, and some of the most beautiful hair you've ever seen. interrupting your thoughts, Isaac lifts his bottle into the air, and shouting: "to Richmond!" everyone repeats him, lifting their drinks in the air before cheering.

as everyone turns to each other and dive into their own conversations, the divide between your team and the men's shrinks as they all start to mingle. smiling at the sight, you move to the left of the room towards your assigned cabinet. bringing your right foot onto the bench, you lean forward to untie your laces. as you swap legs and pull the laces on your right foot, you feel a hand on your shoulder.

"y/l/n?" the voice is gruff and deep, their hand still holding your shoulder as you stand up straight. you turn your head, immediately smiling at the sight of Isaac.

"Isaac!" you laugh, lifting an arm as you beckon for a hug. he wraps an arm over your shoulder, clapping your back as you embrace.

"congratulations, bruv. you fucking smashed it," he says with an uncharacteristically wide grin. you smile back at him, a humble expression on your face at his kind words. you fold your hands over the navy Richmond crest on your shirt; "all thanks to Keeley and Rebecca,"

"they've done a good job with you lot," he nods, crossing his arms over his chest, "I want you to meet someone."

he nods his head to the side, and your eyes follow the direction before landing on Sam Obisanya. standing behind his captain with his arms folded politely behind his back, his wide grin is infectious. he bows slightly forward and says: "it's so lovely to meet you, y/n. I'm Sam,"

your smile grows at his sweet tone as you wave a hand in greeting; "hi Sam! I'm y/n, but I guess you already know that," he laughs at your words, and you feel compelled to do the same.

"I'll leave you two to chat." Isaac interjects, slapping a hand on Sam's back and pushing him closer to you. Sam winces through a smile, chuckling nervously at the set-up. with his captain at a fair distance from the two of you, he relaxes a bit more.

"you were so good out there," he says genuinely, eyes locked firmly on yours.

"thank you so much, that means a lot coming from you."

"really?" his grin morphs into a smirk, "how come?"

you feel a blush creep onto your cheeks; "I mean, I've seen you play -- you're such a key player for Richmond. you're assist against Chelsea last month was fucking incredible! you make it look so fun and effortless..." you stop talking mid-ramble, noticing how you're supposed to be pretending you've just met him, not like you've been to every match he's ever played.

"thank you, y/n, I really appreciate it. when you play, it's hard to watch anybody else on that pitch."

his words stun you, and all you can do is blink up at him in disbelief. the genuine smile on his face accompanies his sentiment, warming your heart. you're not sure what to say, so you glance down at the ground as you try to subdue the blush on your cheeks with a few deep breaths. "how come you guys came to this match?" you ask, desperate to change the topic.

"Ted said it would be good to bond the two teams a bit more, and I agree! you know, I always wanted to come to one of the women's matches but couldn't find anybody to come with me. that's why tonight, to celebration for your win, I'm hosting everyone at my restaurant with an open bar!"

"Oh woah, Sam that's so generous. you really don't have to do that," you smile at him again, and his bright smile is fixed as he waves his hand and tsks; "don't worry about it. I love having people at Ola's, especially my team, so why not include you guys- or girls, whatever."

the two of you share a laugh again, and you find your heart skipping a beat every time you hear the sound escape Sam's lips. your gaze drops from his as you flick your eyes past him, only to see Jamie staring at you from across the room. you don't linger, just look back at Sam to continue talking, but you find it hard to fully listen to him when you can now feel the other man's eyes burning into your face. subconsciously, your hands come back up to your ponytail, making sure the hairs are as tidy as you can get them in your post-game state. why is Jamie Tartt looking at you?

once everyone's finished their beers, you say goodbye to Sam and the other players before all heading for the showers. you let cold water cascade down your back, goosebumps covering your whole body at the feeling. the shower room is steamy and scorching hot, and the contrast between the air and your water temperature brings a certain peace to your mind. you and your teammates laugh and chatter around you, making fun of the opposition and talking about the guys who came to celebrate with you. with your eyes closed, you let the water hit your face, and it cools the nerves talking to Sam gave you.

his smile could light up an entire stadium, and he's so kind and chivalrous. he's the only Richmond men's player you've actually ever noticed around the building since he always smiles at everyone. you've seen him laughing and talking with the most random people in the hallway, from the secretary to physiotherapist. you try to do the same, saying hello and goodbye to everyone you pass everyday, and you're pretty sure people appreciate you for it. but Sam seems to genuinely have a place in his heart for everyone, especially the fans. you've seen him interact with them before and after matches, and it's not that you always keep to yourself, you just know there's a zone you need to be in to be able to play football the best you can, and that zone doesn't include other people.

after your shower, you get changed into a simple pair of blue jeans and a white blouse, some mascara highlighting your eyelashes. if it was up to you, you would be leaving Nelson Road the same way you arrived; in your Richmond branded tracksuit. but when Gia saw you reach for the purple joggers her eyes shot you daggers, so you grabbed the extra outfit she instructs you all bring to every match. "you never know where you'll end up." she always says, and you all oblige. you can't complain though, Gia is your best friend, both at Richmond and in your daily life. you share a place in town, a cozy but spacious attached home, and you wouldn't have it any other way. you all voted her as captain because of her open mind and her free-spirited approach to football. she doesn't see it as a job, she still sees it as a hobby, and it's how she succeeds. having fun is the key to everything in her life, and as much as you wish you were like that, you put way too much pressure on yourself. it used to be fun for you, a hobby you get to do professionally, but you feel more and more disconnected from that with every game.

you drop into her passenger seat, throwing your bag on the backseat behind you. without asking, you connect your phone to her car's bluetooth and turn on your shared playlist. Gia gets comfortable in the driver's seat as you press shuffle, and the two of you squeal when your favourite Justin Bieber song starts playing. the bass pumps through the car as she pulls out of the Richmond gates, heading to Sam's restaurant. both of you sing along loudly to the music, and you direct the lyrics towards her in a dramatic lip sync. it's easy to laugh with Gia, and you're grateful for the friendship you built with her before coming to Richmond. having grown up together, she got you into football, and eventually you both climbed up the same ladders to get to the same premier league team. if you hadn't had Gia in the beginning stages of the development of Richmond's women's team, you're not too sure you would have made it past the first qualification rounds. but thankfully, she's always been there to cheer you up and lift your spirit, reminding you constantly to try to enjoy football, not fear it.

she turns down the next song, and you groan in frustration; "I like this song!" you whine.

"I saw you talking to Sam in the dressing room," she teases, ignoring your annoyance.

"yeah... Isaac introduced us. have you ever spoken to him? he's so unbelievably friendly, I genuinely can't imagine him ever getting angry."

Gia huffs, shaking her head with a chuckle before responding: "you haven't seen him with Mister Jamie Tartt. he can seriously get on his nerves. Isaac tells me about it sometimes and Sam doesn't let Jamie off easily,"

"well I think your boyfriend was trying to set us up, and I didn't appreciate it."

"yup! he definitely was..." Gia laughs as you roll your eyes. Isaac and Gia have been together since last season, before you had even played any matches. when she was elected captain, Roy thought it would be good to have the two meet and get close, just in case they needed any advice from each other down the line. at first, they would meet for weekly coffees, and soon enough he would be sitting on your sofa when you and Gia came home from late night trainings.

"Sam is lovely, don't get me wrong, but I don't know if we mesh romantically, you know?" you say, looking out the window at setting sun over the brick buildings of Richmond.

"why not? Isaac told me Sam's had a bit of a crush on you for quite a while, so..."

you snap your head around to look at Gia; "he what?"

"yeah... I mean, from what Isaac tells me, he loves watching you train. he often comes to watch us with Isaac when they're on break or whatever," Gia shrugs casually, and you look at her with wide eyes.

"why didn't you tell me this earlier? I had no idea he was watching! I didn't even think he knew me before today! God, that's so embarrassing, Gia..." you groan, rubbing your hands down your cheeks dramatically.

"what?! it's fine, y/n, look- I just wanted you to meet him first. if you didn't click I wouldn't be telling this,"

"how do you know if we clicked?"

"babe," she states curtly, "I saw you blushing and rambling. it was so cute! he walked away with such a big smile,"

"oh my God! shut up!" you exclaim, turning towards the window to hide how red you're going. with a deep sigh, you shake your head, and Gia leaves you alone with your thoughts as she keeps the music low. Sam is amazing -- he's a genuinely lovely guy, and a great footballer. admittedly, he made you blush, and smile, and feel all fuzzy inside. but your mind can't help but drift to the dark blue eyes you kept meeting across the room.

pulling into a parking spot one street down from the restaurant, the music stops suddenly as Gia stops the car, and you're pulled from your thinking. "come on," Gia says, "it's gonna be so much fun! you need to talk to Sam some more." rolling your eyes, you push your door open. you hop out of the car with an excited smile, looking forward to celebrate with your team.

as you start walking up the street towards Ola's, you ask Gia: "do you reckon Jamie will be there?"

Gia's head snaps up to look at you, and her brow furrows in confusion as she scans your face for any ounce of humour. your face stays neutral, however, as you try your hardest to look inconspicuous. "uh- I'm not sure... why?" Gia asks you hesitantly.

"just wondering," you shrug, avoiding her gaze.

"y/n," she stops walking, grabbing your elbow to hold you back, "do you have a thing for Jamie? oh my god, is that why you don't wanna pursue things with Sam?"

shaking your head, you shrug again; "I'm not planning anything with him, Gia, chill." you try your best at a reassuring tone, and hope it goes unnoticed. her eyes are skeptical as she squints at you, her hand still holding your elbow. "I just think I should meet him since we play the same position! he's kind of a legend in the making, you have to admit," you continue.

"fine," Gia sighs and drops her hand, "just don't break Sam's heart, okay?"

"relax, Gia, I promise I can keep it in my pants," you crack a smile as she chuckles, and soon enough you're both laughing out loud. Jamie is attractive, sure, but his whatever he was wearing today took away some of his points. an orange top with a black puffer bodywarmer, paired with a cap with 'ICON' written across it? please.

the red corner building comes into view as your laughter dies down, and the warm light from inside illuminates the footpath. faint music and chatter hum through an open window, and suddenly your chest feels warm before you've even entered the restaurant. the reason you're here tonight is your team, and your win, and you. tonight is a celebration of your team's win, and it's a chance for you and the girls to accept praise and compliments galore. contextualising the reason you're here makes you comfortable in the fact that this isn't work, this isn't football, and there's no pressure on you whilst you're here. pushing open the door and moving past the curtain in front of it, the air isn't heavy, instead it's warm and full of admiration.

the bell above the door dings as you enter, attracting the attention of the people closest to the entrance. when their eyes fall on you and Gia, they smile, clap, and even cheer. a blush appears across your cheeks instantly, but you're able to play it off as you hide your face in your teammates' shoulders when they hug you. you laugh with them, the stress you were putting on yourself quickly dissipating with every kind smile someone gives you. you move further into the restaurant, waving at Roy and your coaches. you move over to Keeley, Rebecca, and Barbara as you say hi to each of them with a kiss on the cheek; "very European," Keeley comments. with a laugh, you walk to the back of the room, eager for a celebratory drink.

"just a gin and tonic please," you say to the waiter with a smile. leaning an elbow on the bar, you turn to the side, facing the kitchen. between the shelves, you spot Sam talking to one of his employees. you smile as you watch him, now noticing how smart he looks in his dark purple shirt. feeling your eyes on him, he turns to face you, a wide grin growing on his face at the sight of you. interrupting his own conversation, he appears from the kitchen, folding his hands together as he approaches you.

"y/n! long time, no see!" he jokes, and you share a laugh. you thank the waitress as she places your drink on the bar, and Sam's grin softens to a content smile.

"I like your shirt," you say.

"oh, thank you! I wore it to match your kit." his statement is simple, but feels big. the effort doesn't go unnoticed by you as your lips part slightly, looking at him through your lashes as he nervously rubs the back of his neck. "you pay very good attention," you note, patting a hand on his chest, instantly feeling how hard it is. it's too late to hide your surprised expression at the feeling of his taut muscles, and you look at Sam with slight panic in your eyes at your reaction. to save you the embarrassment, he throws his head back with a cackle; "did you forget I'm also a footballer, y/n?"

you shake your head and laugh along with him; "whatever, let's go grab a seat."

Sam nods at you, still chuckling to himself when you start walking towards Isaac and Gia at a table towards the far-side of the restaurant. with Sam following behind you, you wave at a few more of your teammates as you pass them. Gia smiles brightly as you approach, as she raises her eyebrows suggestively, you widen your eyes at her with a shy expression, silently telling her to shut up. you sit down next to her and Sam beside Isaac across from you. as you're taking a nervous sip of your drink, you feel a hand tap your thigh, glancing at Gia with a knowing smile before pushing her hand away. chuckling to yourself, you place an elbow on the table and rest your chin in your palm.

"did you enjoy the match, Isaac?" you ask, making sure you bare your sweetest smile, knowing Sam is watching you.

"of course, bruv. it's great watching you two do your thing on the pitch. I'm just glad I got to bring the lads to this one," slapping a hand to Sam's shoulder, he shakes him a bit. Sam laughs, and your eyes find his again. as outgoing as he is, when he looks at you, he goes so shy and nervous. it's endearing, but it feels like something is missing between you. there's a few butterflies, but there's no tension, no chase. if you're going to dive back into the dating pool after your shitty ex, you want something exciting and electric to start with. maybe Sam can still surprise you, it's still early in your night together.

"y/n, I was just telling Isaac about that one bitchy player who tackled you during the game. she was so nice to us before!" Gia starts, and then the conversation takes off. the combination of alcohol and Sam's kind smile warms your chest, and you finally start to relax into the space as the chat flows between the four of you. the restaurant is cozy, dim lighting hiding the permanent blush on your cheeks, and when glancing over at Sam every now and then, you realise just how attractive he is. when his smile is replaced by a listening look, his other features catch your eye. his dark eyes are so focused on Gia as she speaks, respect pouring out of them as he hangs on to her every which word. despite his almost constant smiling, he doesn't have a smile line or wrinkle set in his perfect skin. his cheeks look soft, not too chiseled or sharp, and you imagine placing a soft kiss on them when he drops you off at your door after a hypothetical date. letting your eyes drop to his lips, you notice the hint of pink between them, and continue your daydream to imagine kissing his soft lips after this made-up date.

your thoughts are interrupted when his lips open to a big smile again as he laughs at something Isaac says, and you quickly smile and chuckle, hoping you weren't caught staring. glancing around nervously, you look out the window to the street, before looking around the restaurant. you recognise basically everyone, but haven't spoken to many of the other Richmond players yet. as much as you're enjoying getting to know Sam, you're intrigued by some of the other men's team members. you look towards the busier side of the restaurant, watching as the Richmond guys all laugh and talk to each other, clearly having a bond worth many years of playing together. during the training rounds for your team, you idolised these men, trying to find out what exactly Richmond was looking for. you studied their matches and plays, and had to try very hard not to freak out when you first met Roy Kent. spotting him sitting at a round table behind Isaac, you notice him speaking to someone next to him. when you look at who that is, your eyes meet Jamie Tartt's.

despite Roy clearly speaking to him, Jamie's focused on you. you want to tear your eyes away, but something keeps them locked on his. he's slumped back in his chair, one hand on the table and the other resting on his thigh. you drag your eyes down his frame; he's still wearing that stupid orange outfit, but you can now make out the deep line across his bicep beneath the tight fabric of his shirt. when your eyes drop down to where his hand rests on his leg, you notice how his jeans hug his bulging thighs. lips parted, you blink yourself back to the conversation going on at your table, quickly looking away from Jamie and clearing your throat subtly. you adjust in your seat, flattening nonexistent creases in your blouse before going to take another sip of your drink, only to realise your glass is completely empty.

"be right back," you whisper to Sam, careful not to interrupt Gia's story as you stand up from your seat. brushing past Sam, you touch your hand to his shoulder. he smiles up at you and when you walk away, you make sure your hips sway that little bit more than usual, hoping he's watching. you beeline for the bar, not stopping to speak to anybody as you pass them, despite the many smiles and waves from friends and familiar faces. placing your glass on the bar, you wait for the waitress to appear. instinctively, you pull your phone from your pocket, checking its notifications.

"well done today," someone speaks next to you.

"thank you-" you begin, looking up from your phone and slowing your sentence halfway. the Jamie Tartt leans forward on the bar, resting on his elbows as he looks you directly in the eye. the small smile that had appeared at the compliment immediately drops, and you blink slowly as you process his sudden presence.

"should I be worried about my reputation as Richmond's best striker?"

"what?" you furrow your eyebrows at him, immediately hearing his mocking tone.

"as much as I love the whole girl-power thing you've got goin' on, I hope it don't fuck with my status."

you gawk at him, jaw slack at his obnoxious statement; "what the fuck are you talking about?"

"I mean-"

"what can I get you two?" the waitress returns to the bar. interrupting Jamie.

"I'll have another gin and tonic, please, and you can be generous with the gin." you say, smiling sweetly. when she turns to Jamie, he shakes his head silently, before standing up straight and facing you.

"I mean..." he tries again, "if the press start calling you Richmond's star striker, I'm gonna have to have a serious chat with coach Kent,"

it's impossible to wipe the unimpressed look off your face, staring at him with raised eyebrows and a grimace. you can't believe what he just said to you, and his behaviour is seriously unexpected. sure, you'd seen his cocky press junkets and shitty attitude in the media a year or two ago, but you were under the impression he'd changed since then. you'd spent the last few months studying his football, his plays and techniques burnt into your brain from how often you'd watched his highlights on repeat. the mixed messages confuse you, and your urge to bond with players you admired so much suddenly vanishes.

"never meet your heroes, I guess," you mutter to yourself, taking a sip of your drink as you move to return to Sam.

"Tartt," a deep voice huffs, and suddenly a wall of black appears in front of you, stopping you from leaving. tilting your head up, you see Roy, chest puffed and arms crossed as he stares at Jamie.

"ah, speak of the devil," Jamie says with a fake smile. rolling your eyes at him, you want nothing but to go back to the lovely man waiting for you at your table. instead, Roy puts his hand on your shoulder and guides you back in front of Jamie.

"were you bothering my striker, Tartt?" Roy grumbles, keeping his hand on you. Jamie huffs before pouting, throwing in an eye roll to piss you off just that little bit more. you feel like a child on the playground, your teacher making you stand in front of the mean girl as he waits for you to make up.

"you're striker?" Jamie spits, "I was here first, ya'know." his belittling tone makes your drink taste the bad kind of sour, and all you can do is sigh, waiting for the moment Roy dismisses you and you can go back to Sam.

"it's not about who was here first, it's about who's more respectful, and that will never be you." Roy states, confidently putting Jamie in his place. he holds his fist up towards you, and you bump your knuckles with his before pushing past him, finally walking back to your seat.

"what the fuck, Roy-" you hear Jamie start to sputter at him, but you quickly tune it out when your eyes fall on Sam's again. with your eyebrows still raised in shock, you slide back into your seat.

"are you alright, y/n?" Sam asks, concern painting over his face when you don't return his smile.

"what's that about?" Gia says as she stares at Roy and Jamie bickering by the bar.

with a deep sigh, you shake your head; "fuck knows... has Jamie always been such a dick?" you ask the table. Sam nods at the same time as Isaac shakes his head, and you and Gia look at each other completely confused.

"nah bruv, he's gotten so much better," Isaac says to Sam before chugging some of his beer.

"eh, I don't know about that," Sam replies as he raises his eyebrows, "he's learnt how to play as a team, but outside of football he still doesn't talk much."

"he's different with Isaac, though, right?" Gia asks, her boyfriend blinking at her a few times before turning to you. "he's a good guy..." he takes a deep breath before continuing, "when he wants to be," Isaac smacks Sam on the back, laughing loudly. Sam glances up at you with a shy grin, but your face screams unimpressed at the joking about his shitty behaviour.

the night continues smoothly, with no more Jamie staining your celebrations. after your conversation at the bar, Roy kept him well away from you. you get to know Sam some more, before chatting with your teammates and meeting some of the men's team. Roy even apologises for Jamie's behaviour, but you shrug it off; "footballers, innit," you say, and Roy laughs and nods in agreement. your whole interaction with Jamie was so confusing, and completely unexpected. you'd hoped him being a dick on the pitch didn't translate to outside of the stadium, and to others it didn't, but he didn't seem to hold back when it came to you. the restaurant starts clearing out around 10pm, people needing their rest after the big match. you and Gia wait around until you're the last ones there, and your nerves suddenly set in as you realise there may be some implications between you and Sam.

"Isaac's coming home with me, by the way," Gia says, locking her arm with Isaac's. she looks at you with her eyes widened, jaw clenched as she darts her eyes towards Sam. you sigh and drop your lids for effect; "Sam, this was amazing, and thank you so much for hosting the team. I would stay for another drink with you but," you force a yawn as you wave your hand in front of your face, "I'm just so exhausted after the game, you know how it is..."

"ah, okay," Sam starts, rubbing his palms together as his disappointment gets concealed under a kind smile, "get your rest, y/n- and you too, Gia, of course."

when you're finally back in Gia's car -- squished into the backseat with Isaac in front of you in the passenger seat -- she refuses to start the car.

"what do you mean you're tired?!" she yells at you, the small car making the noise ten times louder. you smack her arm; "shut up! what's your problem?!" you shout back.

"I think he wanted to get to know you a bit more..." Isaac urges.

"ugh! I have nothing more to say! we've basically gotten to know everything about each other already," you complain, and Gia looks at you with one eyebrow raised. "you're so annoying. why don't you ever let me wingman you?" she finally turns the key in the ignition, pulling out of her parking spot and starting down the road.

"just leave me alone," you mutter, fishing your headphones out of your gym bag and putting them over your ears. like a grumpy teenager, you play your music loud to shut out the sound of Gia and Isaac talking, leaning on the window beside you as you look out at the passing cars. your mind can't help but drift to Jamie again, still upset by his mean tone towards you. according to Isaac, he's apparently 'gotten better', whatever that's supposed to mean. because to you, he just seems like the same old egotistical prick like when he first came to Richmond on loan from Man City. even when he played in blue you respected him as a footballer, and were actually quite excited to see him come to help an underdog team.

when Gia finally turns into your road, the recognisable row of houses coming into your view, you pull your headphones off. "I don't think that's a good idea," Gia sighs, but Isaac protests; "no, I swear, I think it'll work."

"what will work?" you ask, unclicking your seatbelt and leaning between the two of them as Gia pulls into your driveway.

"jesus, y/n, you're gonna give me a heart attack," Isaac groans, holding a hand to his chest.

they ignore your question, and you let it go, eager to get inside to your big warm bed. the second the car stops, you jump out, speeding to your front door. you unlock it, slipping inside and quickly taking off your shoes at the doormat. almost slipping on the hardwood floors, you run to the stairs, sprinting up to the next floor and straight into your big bedroom. luckily enough, your house has one bedroom downstairs and another upstairs, both with bathrooms on each floor, allowing you to have your own space. you wouldn't mind sharing with Gia, and you actually both slept downstairs for the first week of you living here. you would never admit it to anyone else, but you were a bit scared of how high the ceilings of the upstairs bedroom reached, especially considering the attic above it to which you didn't have any access.

you close the door and press your back into it, tipping your head back and sighing, eyes closed. dropping your bag at your feet, you dig your phone out of your pocket, seeing texts in your family group chat congratulating you on your win. you thank them in reply before getting ready for bed. finally nestled in the duvet, you scroll through your phone, mindlessly switching between tiktok and instagram as you only half-absorb everything you see. that is, until a press junket with Roy, Jamie, and Sam, pops up on your for you page. Sam's smiling face makes your cheeks warm, his smile absolutely contagious. Jamie, however, looks fucking miserable.

Roy is between them, calling on interviewers. "Jamie, on the heels of making your England debut, how does it feel to be named Premiere League Player of the Month?" one of them asks him off-camera. the Jamie you spoke to today would have been absolutely gassed by that question, but the Jamie on your screen doesn't seem as thrilled. Roy rolls his eyes, obviously expecting him to be a prick about the question, but instead, he gives a half-assed shrug. "uh-, ehm, yeah, yeah, it feels good, I guess. but it's really the team making me look good. so, I should be doing a better job of making them look good, really." your expression matches that of Roy and Sam on your screen, the shock evident on your face as you sit up in bed. he goes on to object his award, despite how much the other two big him up.

the timid look on his face breaks your heart a little bit, and seeing the way his eyes seem to glaze over when he's not speaking makes you question whether he's the same man you met today. is this what Sam and Isaac were talking about? switching apps, you type his name into instagram, quickly finding his verified account. you scroll through his pictures, seeing mostly promo pictures for Richmond, or random brand deals he's done. there's nothing personal about his page, and his cocky pout in all of his pictures gives you the ick immediately. any vulnerability he had in that interview completely slips your mind as you sigh deeply, locking your phone and placing it next to your bed. you lay down again, closing your eyes and breathing deep, and right before you drift off, those dark blue eyes challenging you at the bar are the last thing you see before slipping into sleep.

you, Gia, and Isaac all pile into her car on monday morning, heading to Richmond for another day of training. "just to give you a heads up, y/n," Gia says as she starts the car, "we're trying something different at training today." you perk up, leaning forward to feel less like a third wheel between the couple.

"oooh, what are you planning for us captain?"

"over the weekend, Isaac and I were discussing maybe combining our morning trainings with the guys? just to spice things up a little, you know?"

"yeah, because it's the middle of the season and everything, Gia and I thought we could use a little switch up just to make things more fun." Isaac adds.

"oh yeah! that's a great idea," you say, genuine excitement in your voice. Isaac stares at you with a furrowed brow, trying to sense any sarcasm in your tone, and Gia's silence proves she's thinking the same thing. "whatever you do, don't make me train with Tartt. if you can promise me that, then I'll try to have fun." your emphasis on the last word is only half-mocking -- you really do want to try to make football fun for you again.

"y/n..." Gia trails off before taking a deep breath, "it's gonna be quite hard to train you both as strikers if you don't train together..."

"that's not true!" you protest, shaking your head with a confused face, "just make me striker for one half of the training team, and make him striker for the other, that way we won't have to interact."

"right, until you play a game against each other," Isaac adds, "what then?"

"then I'll just have to fucking destroy him." you huff, leaning back in your seat and peering out the window. maybe kicking Jamie's ass in training is what will make all of it a lot more fun. the grumpy expression on your face contradicts your thoughts, the image of an anxious Jamie replaying in your head. you can't seem to get his big, sad eyes out of your mind, his eyebrows knitted together in worry and discomfort. Roy and Sam seemed equally as surprised in the moment as you were watching the reupload last night, and seeing that different side of him makes you think that maybe today he'll be different than at your match on saturday. maybe he was just having a bad day.

"good mornin' dickhead. ready to get your arse kicked?" Jamie's smug face winks at you as you meet him in the hallway on your way to the training pitch. "hi Jamie," you respond with a flat, unamused tone; he wasn't just having a bad day then. both dressed in different colour training kits, the men's and women's team flood onto the grass, crowding in front of the coaches as they await an explanation for their joint training. Gia and Isaac step out of the large group of players and stand in front of them, ready to give their announcement.

"so, here's the plan." Isaac's booming voice quiets the chattering players. you're already listening, of course, refusing to talk to Jamie who is still standing next to you. "psst," he leans closer to you, and you reflexively lean the other way, "do you think they're gonna make us tie a string from our dicks to your tits and make us play." with a disgusted grimace on your face, you side-eye him, catching a glimpse of his cocky grin. you roll your eyes, redirecting your attention to your captain.

"Isaac and I have decided that we're all going to train together this morning, and in the afternoon, we split off again." Gia announces.

"the point of today is to get you guys to have fun with football. just for this morning, you can all forget about the upcoming men's match this friday, and the girls can recover after their amazing win last saturday!" the group all clap and cheer at Isaac's words, both in excitement for the next match, as well as in celebration of the last match. clapping and smiling along with the group, you nudge your shoulder to one of your teammate's next to you, temporarily forgetting about the annoying presence beside you.

once everyone calms down again, Gia continues the pair's speech; "we're gonna start by having you all group up with everyone who plays your position. wingers with wingers, strikers with strikers, defenders with defenders, that kinda thing,"

your mouth drops, and you gawk at Gia who tries desperately to avoid your gaze, but eventually gives in. "I'm sorry," she mouths with a shrug, and your shocked expression turns into a bored one as you turn to face Jamie. with a smug smile on his face, he runs his tongue along the inside of his cheek as you both cross your arms across your chest.

"you've got to be fucking kidding me," you sigh, pinching the bridge of your nose as you try to calm yourself with a few deep breaths. when you look up again, Jamie is staring down at his feet, digging his studs into the grass. rolling your eyes, you turn to face Gia and Isaac again. everyone has grouped up, and you and Jamie seem to be the only pair. your brows furrow as you look around; "is there not even a second teamer than can join us? please, Gia,"

"nope," she pops her lips together as she says it, "you two are they only strikers." her voice is stern, and you narrow your eyes at her with a curt nod. "right..." you drawl as you stare at her, challenging her. her simple smile is unwavering, and she's clearly not giving this up. she cocks her head towards Jamie, who is still distracted by his own boots. sighing loudly, you untangle your arms to slap a hand to his, feeling his hard muscles through his long sleeve. the feeling surprises you, and you let yourself glance at his biceps, the taut fabric stretching over them. keeping the disgusted look on your face, you hope he doesn't notice you checking him out. when you lift your eyes, however, he's looking you straight in the eye. you jump at the sudden eye contact, frowning at his forwardness.

"is there something on my arm?" he asks you, not taking his eyes off yours.

"no," you snap, and you hope the blush creeping up your cheeks is just because of the cold autumn air.

"are you blushing?"

"no, fuck off," you mutter, slapping his arm again as you turn your attention away from him. Gia and Isaac take turns explaining how today's training is organised, assigning different coaches to different groups. thankfully, Isaac gives Roy the responsibility of making sure you don't murder Jamie during your session. "alright, let's go!" Isaac shouts, Beard blowing his whistle. you stay rooted in place, trying your hardest to find it in you to actually go interact with Jamie. him and Roy are already making their way to the goal to the left of the pitch, footballs in hand.

"good luck, y/n." Sam's voice appears, alongside a hand on your shoulder. you place your hand on his, smiling up at him meekly. "thank you, Sam... have fun!" his smile is warm and sympathetic, and you kind of appreciate the pity, it's more than Gia gave you. Sam's words give you the courage to finally move, slowly falling into a jog as you head towards the far side of the pitch. if the whole point of today was to have fun, why the fuck would they lump you and Jamie together with Roy as your peacekeeper?

"alright you two..." Roy says as you approach. you stand next to Jamie, leaving an obnoxious amount of distance between the two of you. Roy tosses you a bright orange football before continuing; "I've been told you need to be friends. I wouldn't have a fucking clue why since you're not even on the same team, but whatever. we're gonna keep it simple, you each take turns kicking the ball against the goalpost, whenever one of you fucks up and kicks it into the goal, you both get down and do fifteen push-ups. understood?"

"so scoring a goal is bad? what is that supposed to teach us?" you ask.

"and if she fucks it, which she probably will, I have to do push-ups?" Jamie groans.

"yes." Roy says, a simple answer to two apparently-simple questions.

"jesus christ," you and Jamie both mutter at the same time, making you both look at each other and roll your eyes, also at the exact same time.

you move toward the penalty spot to go first, ignoring how in sync you two seem to be, and the ball firmly at your feet. you push down you right sock before pulling the left as high up your leg as possible. taking a few steps back, you blow out a sharp breath before charging forward and kicking the ball, perfectly hitting the middle of the top goal post. Roy claps with a small smile on his face, and you look at him proudly. without a word, Jamie bumps into you as he places his ball down, quickly taking a shot, the ball smacking in exactly the same spot as yours had. you both jog to collect your footballs, and you decide to up the stakes. aiming for the top goal post again, you now kick the ball so it curves up high into the air before slowly dropping and bouncing off the right spot. Jamie wastes no time to copy you, even turning his back to the goal in a cocky manner, knowing he aimed it perfectly. he holds his hands up in the air as he slowly spins around, proud smile on his face. you roll your eyes for the umpteenth time, turning your head away from him to hide the way the corners of your mouth lift slightly at his bragging. pressing a hand into his chest, you push him out of the way for you to take your next kick, and you finally let the smile through.

with a loud laugh, Jamie claps and whoops, pushing his fists into the air; "I did it! I made it laugh!"

"it?!" you shout back, obviously offended.

"go on then, try something harder." he cocks his head towards the goal, biting down on his bottom lip as he grins at you. you run towards the ball and thrust your hip forward with as much might as you can muster, swinging your leg. the ball shoots at the goal, knocking off the top one before bouncing against the left post. "ha!" you shout as you turn to Jamie, pointing a finger at him, "watch out Tartt, I might be coming for your reputation," you mock his words from saturday evening, and he struggles to wipe the shock from his face. his lips are pouted with is eyebrows raised, head tipped forward as he looks between the ball, to the goal post, back to you. his jaw clenches, and you can see his sharp jawline jutting out before his adam's apple bobs up and down with a gulp. although it's mid-october, the skin of his neck is still sun kissed from summer, and you let your eyes drift down to the collar of his navy training top. even through the fabric, the muscles in his shoulders are defined, and the lines on his biceps are still showing without him needing to flex.

"what?" his voice snaps you out of your daze, dragging you back to the cold pitch. your cheeks feel hot again, and you do your best to look pissed off at him; "what?" you snarl back.

"you're staring at me."

"no I'm not," you mutter, turning away from him and abruptly jogging toward the side of the pitch. as you run away from Jamie, you squeeze your eyes shut, cringing at yourself. what possessed you to just run away? grabbing your water bottle, you chug as much as you can in one go, taking a few deep breaths. "come on, y/n... focus," you mumble to yourself before walking back to the goal as casually as possible.

neither Roy nor Jamie bring up your little trance, and you count yourself lucky since it would be pretty good ammo for Jamie to annoy you with. the two of you continue your competition, the smack of the ball against the goal becoming almost rhythmic as you don't waste any time to outdo each other with each turn. Jamie even takes it to the next level, moving to the middle between the penalty and the halfway line. from there, he attempts to hit to goal post, and you hold your breath as you watch the ball soar through the air. Jamie locks his hands behind his head, and you have to tear your eyes away from his arms yet again. the ball skims past the top post, missing it by mere centimetres, and you flinch as Jamie screams at the top of his lungs. you stare at him with wide eyes as he falls to his knees, keeping his hands behind his head as he plants his forehead into the grass. he groans and whines to himself dramatically, and you look to Roy. when you see him look equally as confused as you are, you find your feet carrying yourself towards a floored Jamie.

"Jamie?" you ask with a soft voice, reaching a finger out and poking him in the back, "you okay?"

"did I lose?" he asks, voice high pitched and cracking.

"Jamie, what the fuck? get up!" your tone is no longer gentle as you poke him harder and tapping your foot to his ass. he lets himself topple over, lying on the ground in fetal position, faking loud racking sobs. looking around you, you notice a few other footballers staring at you two, clearly concerned and confused. you crouch down, looking at him with your mouth drawn in a tight line, rubbing your hand over his arm.

"Jamie, baby, should I get the medic?" you pout as you coo at him condescendingly, and the petname snaps him out of his dramatics. his face morphs from a cry to a disgusted look as he stares at you. you tilt your head to the side; "if you do these push-ups with me I'll let your mistake pass as a bit of fun."

he jumps up almost immediately, jogging towards Roy before you can even stand up straight. getting down on his knees, he looks up at your coach and asks; "fifteen? why not twenty?"

"fine." Roy grumbles and you look at him with a defeated look. "are you serious?" he shrugs at you as you whine, getting down on all fours in front of Jamie.

he smirks down at you, chuckling to himself as he contemplates his words for a few seconds; "you know, y/n, whenever I've imagined you in this position I'm usually behind you."

his words knock the wind out of you, and you cough a few times as you sit up on your knees. you slap your hand on your chest as you clear your throat, completely shocked by the nerve of Jamie Tartt. throwing his head back, he laughs at your reaction, hand clutching his stomach as he struggles for air. Roy doesn't say a word, doesn't even laugh, just looks around waiting for you two to stop your antics. as Jamie recovers from his laughing fit, and you finally stop coughing, he keeps his eyes on you as he drops forward, planting his hands in the grass. "you know I'm just joking, yeah?" his words may be kind, but the brazen smirk on his face says otherwise. with a wink, he runs his tongue along his bottom lip before dropping his eyes to your lips briefly. your mouth opens slightly, his behaviour giving you absolute whiplash. he's teasing you, winding you up, but also flirting? you give your head a shake before putting your hands down again, keeping your eyes glued to the ground as you try to hide the blush inevitably making its way up your face.

"okay, stop fucking around," Roy interrupts the flustered silence, watching as you and Jamie push up onto your feet, holding your body weight with your arms. he starts counting out loud, going painfully slow so you have to continue holding yourself up as you wait for him to say the next number. still facing the ground, you huff breaths out through your mouth, still persevering. glancing at Jamie, you look up through your eyelashes to see his strong arms flexing as he pumps up and down. his fingers clench, digging into the ground as he brings his chest all the way down, brushing the blades of grass without letting go of the push-up. the lines in his arms are impossibly deeper now, and you can see his shoulders bulging through his top. your jaw slack, you drag your eyes up to his neck, seeing the muscles strain in its sides.

"y/n!" Roy shouts, making you jump and sag through your elbows a little before picking your weight back up. your head snaps up to look at Jamie, who's staring at you with an amused grin, eyes dark with his pupils blown wide; "you missed a count, love," he drawls, "too busy starin'?"

embarrassment takes over as you roll your lips and put your head down, arms starting to shake as your holding plank becomes almost unbearable. you just got caught staring at Jamie's muscles, again, by both him and Roy. all you want is to run inside, lock yourself in the bathroom, and never show your face. instead, you mumble a "sorry" and continue your push-ups in front of Jamie. as Roy starts counting again, you screw your eyes shut, swearing not to let them drift across Jamie's body ever again. you squeeze your eyes so hard you start seeing red specks float across your vision. Roy gets to eighteen, and your ears throb as your blood pumps quickly. your arms shiver under your weight as he counts excruciatingly slowly. but on number nineteen, your body suddenly tenses, feeling warmth on your right hand. you allow one eye to open, squinting down at your hand, only to see Jamie's fingers laying between yours.

———

NEW SERIES!! thank you so much for all the love on my last series! if you haven't read it yet, please check it out if you'd like to!

sorry for the big build up with Sam and everything, but I had to give you a reason to hate Jamie, didn't I? I'm really excited to write this, I'm all for longwinded tension ;p

#jamie tartt x reader #jamie tartt #ted lasso #jamie tartt x y/n #jamie fartt #jamie tartt fanfic #imagine #jamie tartt x you #sam obisanya #sam obisanya x reader #enemies to lovers #phil dunster #jamie tartt fluff

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carolineesnell · 6 months

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There’s like no new Ted Lasso series fics and I’m starting to get real sad ☹️

I BEG OF YOU, ANYONE, PLEASE WRITE SOME FICS FOR TED LASSO 😭😭😭

#ted lasso #jamie tartt #jamie tartt x reader #roy kent #roy kent x reader #sam obisanya #sam obisanya x reader #literally any of them please #I don’t remember anyone else’s last name so this is who I’m tagging #x reader #😭

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wlntrsldler · 9 months

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crush | sam obisanya

based on crush by tessa violet

description: you started getting origami hearts from a secret admirer. you secretly hoped it was a certain richmond player.

warnings: language-- it's ted lasso, what did ya expect?; kissing! a looootttt of smiling from sam, richmond himbos, sam and jamie bffs

pairing: sam obisanya x f! reader (she/her)

word count: 2.8K

ted lasso requests are open! | main masterlist

It started on a random Tuesday.

You walked into the coaches’ office where your temporary desk was located– Beard nearly begged you to take Trent’s old desk because the office without Ted or Trent just felt too empty– and you saw it sitting on top of your work laptop.

It was a red, origami heart.

You looked around, puzzled, trying to figure out who left it, or at the very least, if everyone else had one on their desks too. You tried to catch someone’s eye, perhaps they’d reveal who left it on your desk, but all the coaches were in the locker room talking strategy with the entire team.

Maybe the coaches did get one and they just put it away before you got here. After all, you got to work an hour after everyone else did. You picked up the heart and turned it over to find something scribbled on the back.

“If I were loved, as I desire to be” - Lord Alfred Tennyson

You furrowed your eyebrows, holding the origami heart gently as you ransacked your small bookshelf beside your desk. Your fingers traced the spines of the books you had laying around, stopping on your copy of Tennyson’s Poetical Works. A bookmark was peeking from the top of the book and you knew exactly what poem it was.

The small smile on your lips threatened to get bigger as you read the poem over and over again. You were sure you read the poem about fifty times before you shut the book. By the time you got yourself situated, and placed the origami heart with the rest of the trinkets on your desk, it was time to join the coaches in the locker room.

As you walked in, your eyes met Sam’s. He offered a small wave which you returned happily. Sam was the first friend you made at Nelson Road. When you were hired by KJPR to manage Richmond’s social media and newsletters, your time was split between the KJPR HQ and the facility. It wasn’t because Keeley needed you at KJPR, but more so because you were too nervous to work at a football club every day.

Turns out, there was no reason to be nervous. About two weeks into your job, you found yourself itching to work onsite at Nelson Road. You loved the community they built there, their camaraderie, and their mutual trust, respect, and love for each other were more than admirable.

And sure, it also helped that Sam Obisanya was here, but that was neither here nor there.

When Keeley and Rebecca first found out about your crush on Sam, which they had to force out of you– in your defense, you knew about Rebecca and Sam’s history and you didn’t want to step on any toes– they lost it. Rebecca, of course, reassured you that it was alright with her, especially since she was with her Dutchman now. The two women would make googly eyes at you whenever they saw you talking to Sam.

“Y/N! Why else would he come into your office so often? He fancies you!”

“He’s just borrowing a book, Keels,” you frowned, “Jan Maas and Bumbercatch do the same thing.”

Rebecca rolled her eyes, “But they don’t do it as often.”

You shrugged, “Maybe Sam just reads fast.”

“Hopeless.” The two women said in sync, laughing as you threw a pen in their direction.

Stuck in your little daydream, it was Roy’s booming voice that snapped you out of your thoughts. You blinked a few times, surprised to find Sam’s eyes still on yours. You blushed under his intense stare and decided to be the one to break the connection. You walked out behind Nate, pretending to scribble on your notepad.

“Y/N!” Colin called, running to catch up with you. He threw an arm around you, “How’s my favorite social media and branding manager?”

You eyed him wearily but played along. You’d need a few more seconds to figure out what he wants, “I’m alright. How about you, Hughes?”

“I’m doing fine, as well. Say, did you do something new to your hair? It looks absolutely lovel-”

“Give it up, mate,” Sam chimed in, removing Colin’s arm from around you, “She is not taking down your promo pictures from the grid.”

You feigned a look of hurt, “And here I thought you were just being kind to me!”

Colin let out a long groan, sounding like a toddler throwing a tantrum, “The pictures aren’t flattering, Y/N! I look hideous.”

You shook your head, leaning up to squish Colin’s cheeks together, “Impossible. You’re proper fit. All of you are.”

While your (failed attempt) pep talk didn’t lift Colin’s spirits– he then went to Isaac and complained even more as he was stretching– Sam’s ears perked up at your words. Did you think he was fit? No, no, you couldn’t have. You were just saying it to make a point to Colin, right? You said the whole team was fit, not just him.

You waved goodbye to Sam, smiling at him once again, and he swears he felt his knees buckle from under him. How he managed to make it the rest of the way to the pitch and how he managed to remember how to play football after that was truly beyond him.

“Lord help me,” Sam muttered, leaning down to touch his toes.

“Yeah, lad,” Jamie grimaced next to him, though his tone was teasing. He watched the entire situation unfold. He knew about Sam’s pining and has been on the receiving end of many of Sam’s “Y/N is so lovely. Y/N is so smart. Isn’t she great?” ramblings. “You need some divine intervention because you’re pathetic.”

Sam just shoved Jamie, but he knew he was right. He was a goner.

You figured that the origami heart was a one-time thing, but to your surprise, you found another one on your desk the following day. This time it was blue. Excited to find out what lies behind the paper, you picked it up hurriedly, already smiling ear to ear before you even read it.

“In case you ever foolishly forget: I am never not thinking of you.” - Virginia Woolf

“What do you have there?”

“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,” You jumped at the sound of Keeley’s voice. She was leaning against the doorframe, smirking at your caught reaction. You held the heart between your pointer finger and thumb. You walked over to her, “This is the second one I’ve gotten.”

Keeley’s eyes widened as she read the words on the back. She squealed, rushing to you to shake you by your shoulders, “Babe, you’ve got a secret admirer! Oh my gosh, this is so cute!”

Keeley, bless her, was never one to be discreet when it came to all things romantic. Everyone in the locker room turned to look at you and Keeley in the coaches’ office, most with a confused expression on their face. You awkwardly waved before reaching over to pull Keeley into the covered part of the office. Sure, it wasn’t soundproof, but at least they didn’t get to see your embarrassment.

“Hush,” you tutted, taking the heart back from her. You placed it beside the red one, smiling at how it made your desk look more colorful. “I do not have a secret admirer. Whoever is doing this obviously just has an affinity for good literature and wants to share it with me since I’m a reader.”

“Right well I have an affinity for good champagne, but you don’t see me popping bottles with you every chance I get,” Keeley rolled her eyes, sitting on your desk. She picked up the origami heart from yesterday, groaning in disbelief, “Seriously, Y/N! How much more obvious can they get? They literally confessed their love for you in this one!”

“I do not have a secret admirer.”

“Who has a secret admirer?”

You, once again, jumped at the sound of Rebecca’s voice. Her eyebrows were raised as she walked into your office, munching on some cookies. They weren’t better than Ted’s but she’d gotten used to having cookies for breakfast that she had to make do.

“Y/N has a secret admirer, look!” Keeley ran to Rebecca, holding the two origami hearts in her hand. “Look at how cute these are.”

Rebecca studied them closely, a large smirk on her face when she locked eyes with you, “This is Sam.”

You blushed at the mention of his name, “It is not Sam because I don’t have a secret admirer. Now if you excuse me, I have work to do.”

You tried your best to steady yourself as you walked out to the locker room. The coaches had finished their talk and the team was just doing some final things before they headed out to the pitch for training.

Sam walked over to you, head tilted in question. “What was that about?”

“Nothing,” you shook your head. “Keeley and Rebecca are just being silly.”

He nodded, “Hey, I’m almost finished with the most recent book you loaned me.”

“Are you?” You grinned at him. He mirrored you. “I love that book.”

“I know,” Sam’s eyes drifted briefly to your lips. Oh, what he would give to feel your lips on his, even just for a second. He couldn’t help but keep staring at you as you went on about your favorite parts. Sam could picture the hundreds of outlined quotes you had in the copy he borrowed, different colored sticky notes and highlighters for different things. He noticed that as you spoke you stayed within the confines of the first part of the book. Sam realized later that it was because you didn’t want to risk spoiling anything for him. His heart warmed at the thought.

By the time you finished recounting the book, you were red and out of breath. You placed a hand on Sam’s bicep, not missing the way he tensed under your palm. You could feel the outline of his hard muscles under his kit, which made you suck in a breath. “I’ll see you around, Sam. Come find me when you finish the book and I’ll let you talk my ear off about it. Only fair since I just did it to you.”

He chuckled, watching you disappear into the hallway where Higgins' office was, the opposite way of the pitch where he was headed. His eyes followed your figure until you fully disappeared, which meant that he was not paying attention to where he was going. Right before his body crashed into a pole, Jamie grabbed Sam’s arm and pulled him toward the walkway. Sam, who seemed to awaken from his trance, shyly looked at Jamie.

Jamie chuckled quietly at Sam. He whipped Sam playfully with a rolled-up towel. He jogged lightly and called out to him with his Mancunian accent, “Come on, lover boy. We got trainin’ to do.”

After the fifth day of receiving origami hearts, you decided to take it upon yourself to investigate. Without telling anyone of your plans, not even Keeley or Rebecca who were still convinced it was Sam, you arrived at Nelson Road ten minutes after the call time for the team and coaches.

You entered from the back of the facility, knowing that you had closed your blinds before you left work yesterday. If there was someone in your office, they wouldn’t see you coming in. As you approached the coaches’ office, the outline of someone leaning across your desk caught your eye.

Bingo.

Your heart swelled when you realized who it was. You cleared your throat, “Sam?”

Sam turned around quickly, staring at you like a deer in headlights. He rubbed the back of his neck, “Oh hey, Y/N! You’re here early.”

“Yeah, I have a few things to get done today,” you lied, walking over to your desk. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, right, um,” he held out the book you let him borrow from behind him, “Just wanted to return this. I was just gonna leave it on your desk, but since you’re already here, here you go.”

“Oh,” you tried to mask your disappointment as you reached over to grab the book from him. Your fingers grazed his, sending shocks throughout your entire body. You looked down on your desk and found an origami heart on your laptop once more. This time it looked like a different type of paper. It was lightly colored and patterned instead of the usual solid color. You looked at Sam, “Did you see who left this here?”

Sam, who was already halfway out the door, shrugged, reaching up to rub the back of his neck again, “Nope. It was there when I got here.”

Sure, you always denied that the secret admirer was Sam whenever Keeley and Rebecca teased you for it, but you would be a liar if you said you didn’t also secretly hope that it was him. You really liked Sam. Ever since you started working for AFC Richmond, Sam has shown you nothing but kindness. He asks you how you’re doing, and genuinely cares about your response. He pops in every week or so to borrow a book from your personal library. Then, he sits in your office after training when he finishes a book to talk about it with you. That was your favorite part of your job.

The entire day, you felt dejected and defeated. You’re never going to figure out who was leaving you these little hearts. You didn’t join the team on the pitch or leave your office. At the end of the day, you found yourself staring at a blank Word document. A knock on your wall pulled you from your thoughts. You looked up and found Sam, standing in your doorway with two bags of takeaway in his hands.

“Ready to talk Normal People?” Sam asked, walking in to take his usual spot across your desk. “I brought yummy food.”

“Ola’s?”

He nodded, unwrapping the boxes of food to lay out on your desk. “Of course.”

“Yes!” You cheered, reaching for your hand sanitizer. You offered some to Sam, which he gladly accepted. You pumped some into the palm of his hand and watched in concern as he hissed in pain when he rubbed it into his skin. “You okay?”

He shook his hands to air dry them, a grimace still on his features. “Yeah, just forgot that I had paper cuts.”

The admission almost flew over your head. Almost. It wasn’t until Sam muttered the word “Shit,” under his breath did you realize what he said. Sam rarely ever cussed, and when he did, it was because of something big. When you looked at him, he was staring at you with a nervous look on his face.

“Sam…” you trailed off.

Sam, taking your tone as a rejection, balled up his fist and bit his knuckles in anticipation. When you couldn’t find the right words, Sam interjected, “Okay, Y/N, before you get mad, hear me out please.”

You continued to stare at him in disbelief, unable to accept that it was him. He pushed his chair back, giving himself more space as he began his explanation. “Alright, so… Yes, it’s me. I have been leaving these little hearts on your desk. I’m sorry I lied to you this morning, but I panicked! I didn’t know you were coming in early. Also, I promise that I was going to tell you eventually. I was just nervous because I don’t want to ruin what we have now.”

“I like being friends with you,” he started to say, then cringed at his own words, “Okay, let me rephrase that– I enjoy being your friend, but I do want something more. I really like you, Y/N. I have never really been good at expressing my romantic feelings to people so I figured the greats could do it for me so I started making these little origami hearts with my favorite works and quotes on the back. I was getting quite good at it until I switched the paper I was using. Thus, the paper cuts.”

“Sam, I-”

“Also, I just want to add, you are absolutely under no obligation to go out with me or anything like that. Unless, of course, you want to. Then, that would be great! I would love to go out with you.” He looked at you, like truly looked at you, for the first time since he began his little ramble. He groaned, “Christ, you didn’t even ask. Wait– I didn’t even ask you to go out yet.”

“Sam, please,” You laughed, getting up from your chair to stand in front of him. “I was hoping it was you who was leaving these origami hearts.”

“Really?” he asked, breathless. His cheeks hurt from smiling so much. “You are not disappointed that it was me?”

You backed off a bit as he stood from his seat, walking over to you. You shook your head no, “I was absolutely devastated when you said it wasn’t you who put it on my desk this morning.”

Before you could say anything else, Sam placed his lips on yours. His hands found the side of your face, holding you at an angle that made it easier for your lips to glide against each other. Your hands lay flat against his chest, feeling the rumbling of his heart easily. As you slipped your tongue into his mouth, a deep groan escaped him, which fueled your actions. After a few moments, you pulled away from him but kept him close.

Your arms were wrapped around his neck as you looked up at him. “So what do you think? The paper cuts worth it?”

“Oh, 100%,” Sam easily replied, laughing as he squeezed your hips. He leaned down once again, unable to keep his lips away from yours any longer.

Needless to say, you didn’t get to talk about Normal People, but neither of you cared.

#ted lasso #ted lasso fics #ted lasso oneshot #ted lasso imagines #ted lasso imagine #sam obisanya #sam obisanya x yn #sam obisanya oneshot #sam obisanya imagine #sam obisanya fanfic #sam obisanya x reader #sam obisanya x y/n #frances writes #frances song fics

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burnthoneydrops · 9 months

Text

Home for the Holidays (s.o. x reader)

pairing: sam obisanya x reader

word count: 2.3k

warnings: none? let me know if i missed anything! (not proofread haha)

a/n: a little christmas post for my favourite boy! I got a little carried away with this and basing it off the christmas special from season 2 but I hope you enjoy!!

“I thought you were spending Christmas with your mom,” Ted comments as you sit in his office, a semi-pitying look from both him and Keeley making you want to cover your face in your festive jumper.

“She picked Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day so to the hospital she goes,” you reply, twirling your phone in your hands.

“What about your sister?” Nate asks from his perched position.

“Her girlfriend invited her on a surprise trip to Paris until the end of the month. She invited me to come after but it felt weird y’know?”

“Damn, where’s she been hiding that money?” Coach Beard asks.

“No idea. My sister says she’s good at investing or something but I also have a sneaking suspicion she’s a nepo baby”. The group in the room do a collective ‘ah’ in understanding. Keeley asks about Sam, to which you explain that he doesn’t celebrate Christmas and since the relationship was relatively new, you didn’t want to scare him off with how intensely your mum and your sister love to celebrate. That was before you found out neither of them were going to be there of course.

Ted looks to Coach Beard, asking what he’s doing for Christmas.

“I thought you two broke up?” Keeley asks as he announces that he and Jane are going to a pagan tradition at Stonehenge.

“We did, but we bought the tickets before we broke up so we’re going as friends,” he replies with slight distaste.

“Well that’ll be….what about you Higgins?” Ted changes the subject.

“We open presents and then host a party for any members of the team who don’t have a place to go on Christmas. We usually get about two but Ted and Y/N, you’re more than welcome”.

“I appreciate the offer Higgie Smalls but once Henry wakes up in,” Ted checks his phone, “about an hour, he wants to open presents together and spend the whole day on FaceTime”.

Higgins looks at you for your response. You nod, a small smile on your face, “yeah, sounds like it could be fun. Thanks Higgins”.

After the boys had finished their Secret Santa exchange, you wait for Sam out in the hallway of the facility, saying hi to the other players that walked past and getting a high five from both Colin and Isaac. Sam was second to last to leave, still slinging his coat over his shoulders as he and Dani walked out together.

“So I will see you at Higgins’ house later mi amigo?” Dani asks Sam, who nods and gives him a firm handshake before they bump chests, both with big smiles on their faces.

“Ay I got invited to that too,” you smile at the two boys as Sam grabs your hand to walk to his car.

“I thought you were spending the day with your mum and sister?” Sam asks, looking down at you with scrunched eyebrows.

Your face falls as you realise you hadn’t told him. You quickly apologise, explaining that because work had been so busy the past few days, you thought you had told Sam that your family was going to be gone, but apparently that was not the case. He is quick to shush your apology, claiming that it’s fine because now the two of you will get to spend your favourite holiday together after all.

“I guess that means we could head over to your place for a bit before we go to the Higgins’?” you look across at Sam as he starts the car, but he is quick to shut it down.

“Do you not want to get changed before we head over? I can drop you off at your home and pick you up when you are ready,” he replies, looking straight at the road. “Besides, I have a dish I need to pick up as a housewarming present”.

“Oh,” you slump, a little defeated, “ok”.

Getting ready for the party did not take nearly as long as it felt like Sam had expected, as it took him forever to respond to your ‘I’m ready!’ text. Something felt weird about the whole ordeal but you push it off, wanting to enjoy your favourite day with some of your favourite people. By the time Sam pulls up in front of your house, you’d checked your makeup a million times in the mirror, made sure you’d unplugged your curling iron about the same amount, and was watching cat TikToks when the doorbell rang. “You look lovely my love,” Sam compliments as you open the door. You thank him, holding out your hand for him to take before you close and lock your door, making sure not to trip on the front steps.

The drive to the Higgins house is short, meaning you two are still somehow early for the event. It comes as a relief, though, when they open the door, as Sam had informed you in the car that he was in desperate need of the restroom. You hold back a laugh as the smallest of the Higgins boys answers the door, and you and Sam both look down with a little ‘hello’ and a wave. You take the dish from Sam as he enters the house first, but Higgins is soon to join you both, showing you two to the living room where all the appetisers had been laid out.

“What a wonderful spread,” you compliment, to which his wife Julie replies with a thank you and a large smile. As Higgins asks what Christmas makes Sam think of, to which you can’t help but laugh again as you know the answer, Julie offers you a glass of wine (which you gladly accept).

“Colonisation,” Sam replies, “but I am more than happy to celebrate the day with you. It’s Y/N’s favourite holiday anyway, so it won’t be my last,” he smiles at you. “We also have some friends in Lagos who celebrate with jollof rice and goat meat, so I made you some”. You hand the dish to Higgins, who looks sceptical.

“But don’t worry, I used chicken,” Sam clarifies.

“Thank God,” Higgins mutters, looking down at the dish before one of his older sons walks up, complimenting Sam on his protest against Dubai Air. Hearing Higgins swear in support of his son surprises both you and Sam, causing a round of light laughter before Sam is asking about the bathroom again.

“If it’s your favourite holiday, why aren’t the two of you doing something separate from the party?” Julie asks as she comes back in with the wine.

“I forgot to tell him that my family wasn’t going to be available, and when we celebrate, we go all out, so I didn’t want to scare him off when we’ve only been together a few months”.

“I doubt anything could scare that boy off,” Julie chuckles, “he’s the happiest, most dedicated boy on the entire earth. Plus, he’s in love with you”.

You blush, not expecting to get so personal with the Higgins family quite yet.

“She’s right, Y/N, we’ve all noticed it around Nelson Road,” Higgins joins in, standing next to the arm of the couch.

“That’s…nice,” you nod, not entirely sure what else to say.

The next chunk of time is spent voluntarily helping clean up the house before everyone else arrives, Sam having turned gathering the wrapping paper into a game with the youngest. You smile from the corner of the couch you were picking extra pieces of tape off of; watching Sam play with kids always made your heart melt.

“Did Santa bring you something good this morning?” Sam asks.

“It’s ok, I know there’s no Santa,” the youngest shrugs as Sam sits down at the dining table.

“But of course there is!” You comment, making your way over to the two, positioning yourself in the doorway.

“How could he possibly deliver presents to everyone in one night?” The boy questions.

“Ah see, but it is one night split between 24 different time zones. Santa’s true power is not his speed, but his endurance,” Sam explains.

“Wow,” the boy’s face lights up, “he got me a bicycle,” he smiles.

“Brilliant,” Sam gives him a double fist bump before the youngest runs off at the sound of the doorbell.

You walk over to where Sam is sitting, running your hands down his shoulders as he wraps one of his hands around your arm. You lean your cheek on the top of his head, muttering about how wonderful he is before he laughs, planting a kiss on the hand he grabbed, and shaking his head. The next to arrive are Dani, Jan Maas, and Richard-who also brought a date- all with something to offer in their arms. They look a bit like the three wise men, but with alcohol instead of gold. Zoreaux follows quickly after, looking incredibly smiley as he announces he had previously gone to the wrong house. As more and more people arrive, you start to feel that warm, tingly feeling that reminds you why you love Christmas in the first place. So many people around, all happy to see each other, brings so much joy, especially when it brings on a Nerf battle to which all members (children and adults) are very dedicated. Putting dinner together is a sight to see, considering the regular dining table was conjoined with a surfboard and a pool table in order to fit all of the guests.

You rest your head on Sam’s shoulder as he grabs a dish from one of his fellow players, smiling at the mention of goat meat and laughing as the youngest Higgins boy tries to sneak himself some wine from Richard’s bottle. “I’m glad we got to do this together,” you whisper into Sam’s turtleneck.

“Me too my love,” he replies, looking down at you and trying to kiss the top of your head.

Higgins stands up as everyone passes dishes around and makes joyful conversation, clinking his wine glass to make a toast. “I just want to thank everyone for coming,” he starts.

Sam raises his glass as you take your head off his shoulder, “to the family Higgins!” Everyone begins to cheer, Jan Maas clapping his hand against the table.

“You’re going to make me cry,” Higgins continues, “to my lovely wife, Julie, my sons, to you and all your families back in Lagos, Guadalajara, Groningen, Cordon, Montreal, Benin City, Harare, Kingston, and Santa Cruz de la Sierra. I know you would have preferred to be with them,” Sam reaches under the table and grabs your hand, “but it was truly an honour to have you with us, to share our traditions and help us make some new ones. To the family we’re born with, and the family we make along the way.” Sam squeezes your hand as Higgins finishes his little speech. “And most importantly, to Richmond!” “To Richmond!” Everyone cheers in response-you included, raising their glasses.

There was suddenly a sound similar to feedback from outside and the youngest Higgins goes out to check for the cause of the commotion. “Ho ho ho Higginses!” Ted calls from the street.

The team all crowd around the window, greeted by the sight of Ted and Rebecca with three buskers, all in festive outfits.

“Holy shit,” you laugh to Sam, who grabs your hand again before leading you out the front door. After spending a good bit of time outside with the team, dancing in the snow, everyone starts to say their goodbyes. You and Sam give parting hugs to everyone before getting in his car. He wordlessly starts to drive, and you assume he’s going to drop you off at your house, but as you miss the turn, you open and close your mouth in question.

“I thought we could continue the festivities at my place if that’s ok,” Sam comments, glancing at you before looking back at the road.

“Yeah, ok,” you smile, looking at the few houses decked out in Christmas lights as you keep driving.

“Now this sounds weird, but I need you to close your eyes as we walk in. I promise it’s nothing scary,” he adds that last part in response to the way your face scrunched up.

“Ok…” you laugh uncomfortably, covering your eyes with your hands as Sam links one of his elbows with yours, guiding you up to his kitchen before informing you that you can drop your hands.

The sight in front of you is truly amazing, and you almost start crying on the spot. Sam stands off to the side with a nervous smile as you scan the room, looking at all the Christmas decorations and a full table of your favourite desserts that stand in front of you. A trifle and a Christmas pudding, a spiced Victoria sponge and a pitcher of mulled wine. You turn to face Sam, still with the nervous look on his face, before running to close the distance with a bone crushing hug.

“I take it that you like it?” He asks, slowly wrapping his arms around you.

“I love it!” You sniffle as you let go, looking at him in admiration. “But how? Why? I mean you-”

“Your sister told me when she accepted that trip to Paris that both she and your mum would be gone, and I know how much you love Christmas, so I decided to put a little something together”.

“A little something? Sam, this is amazing! Thank you so much,” you hug him again tightly. “Why did you agree to go to Higgins then?”

“You love celebrating with other people, and I figured we could just add on to the celebration. Initially we were just going to come back here after Secret Santa, but it ended up working out because the Victoria Sponge wasn’t ready yet. So, I dropped you off first, and a little extra celebration time wasn’t going to do any harm,” he shrugs.

“You’re amazing, you know that?”

“Only for you my love,” he chuckles, grabbing your face lightly, pressing a soft kiss onto your lips before turning back to the feast. “Now, let us not put this all to waste”.

You turn excitedly to the table, wondering how you got so lucky with such a wonderful boyfriend.

#ted lasso #sam obisanya #sam obisanya x reader #ted lasso fanfic #ted lasso x reader #jamie tartt #roy kent #dani rojas #ted lasso one shot #sam obisanya x you

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