Phoebe
Jamie slipped out of the afternoon training thirty minutes early to pick Phoebe up from school and bring her back to the club. She sat at Roy's desk doing her homework while he went back out to training and joined the team. He continued to train after everyone was cooling down, running a few plays with Dani who was always so fucking excited about training he didn't mind sticking back. They warmed down together, and Jamie went back inside to find Nate helping Phoebe with her maths homework while Sam and Beard were arguing about the correct transitions for her slideshow.
"I'm pretty sure she's gotta do that herself," Jamie said.
"Jamie!" Phoebe said with a smile. "I've almost finished all my homework, so we can watch TV tonight."
"Yeah, we can," he said. "You gonna be good while I finish up?"
"Yeah, Nate's really good at maths."
Nate smiled. "So's Phoebe."
Jamie left them to it and headed to the physio's office for some work on his hamstrings which were feeling the return to full on training. An hour later, he was feeling loose so he changed out of his kit; he'd shower at home so he collected Phoebe from Roy's office and took her home.
She bounced off to see Roy as soon as they arrived and Jamie left them to it to have a hot shower and pull on his softest clothes, playing with the material as he walked down the stairs. Jamie found them in the kitchen, sitting at the table and cutting up everything they needed to make tacos.
"Tacos?" Jamie asked, not even believing Roy would allow it.
"Your meat will be plain."
"That's not nice, Uncle Roy."
"I'm letting him have two tortillas."
"Mint," Jamie said. "What am I doing?"
"You can cook the mince, I've put it on, just need you to stir it, the red pot is your one."
Jamie nodded and got himself a glass of water and stood, hip cocked against the bench and stirred the pots on the top of Roy's stove.
"Why is your stove so fucking big?" Jamie asked. "Sorry, Fifi, I wasn't gonna swear this weekend, yeah?"
"That's a normal size," Roy grunted. "Phoebe, grab me a teaspoon."
"Why?" Phoebe asked, even as she jumped up.
"It's a lot bigger than mine," Jamie said, then chuckled. "Except it's not, obviously."
Roy groaned. "I'm going to cut the onion; it stops your eyes from watering."
"Is it bigger or not," Phoebe asked. "Because it can only be one."
Jamie choked on air. "What?"
"Your stove?"
"Smaller, it's definitely smaller."
Phoebe frowned at him. "That's weird, why were you confused?"
Roy smirked at him.
"Does Roy always cry when he cuts onions?"
Phoebe frowned at him. "You're trying to change the subject."
"Yes," Jamie agreed. "You gonna let me?"
Phoebe nodded. "Course, do I need a spoon too, Uncle Roy?"
"I don't know."
"In case," Jamie offered.
"Right," she said, grabbing the second spoon. She followed behind Roy who turned it over and put it on his tongue while he started cutting up the onion. She went back to grating the carrot…very fucking carefully because she wasn't allowed to bleed while Uncle Roy was looking after her.
"But, why is your stove so big?"
"It's not that big," Roy said. "It's a mid-range Aga."
"Like they have in all those country comfort things?"
Roy blinked up at Jamie. "Fucked if I know, don't even know what you're talking about."
"Why do you have an Aga?"
"I wanted one, so I put one in when I renovated the house."
"You renovated?"
"Yeah," Roy said. "Just after I signed my first big contract I bought the house off a little old lady, she wanted to sell but she didn't really want to move so she stayed here until she had to go to Surrey to be near her daughter. Looked like the 70s threw up in here so I gutted it and renovated."
"Only thing I fucking own is the house where me mum lives."
"I thought it was a council house."
Jamie frowned at him. "You think I earn the kind of money I do without buying her a fucking house? She loves that house, it's where I grew up, innit, she didn't want something else."
"Of course."
"Can't believe you think I'm such a twat I wouldn't buy me mummy a house."
"Jamie," Roy said. "I know you'd buy her the whole fucking world alright, I just, my parents wouldn't let me buy them an apartment and I don't know, thought your mum might be just as stubborn as my dad."
"Is your grandad as stubborn as Uncle Roy?" Jamie asked, looking at Phoebe.
Phoebe shrugged. "Is anyone?"
Jamie laughed, it hit him hard and long and he laughed until his ribs ached with it.
"Fuck you," Roy grunted near him as he put the cutting board of onions next to the stove.
"What's your mum like, Jamie?"
"She's the best, best mummy in the world. I know your mum is amazing too but she ain't me mum she's yours."
Phoebe smiled. "Does she come to visit you?"
"I go up there when I can."
"When are you next going?" Roy asked. "You haven't been since Brazil, have you?"
Jamie shook his head and tried to think of a good answer that wasn't I put off going to see me mummy because I'm looking after you and don't wanna leave ya alone.
"I'm coming again in a fortnight," Phoebe said. "I can keep an eye on Uncle Roy while you go and visit your mum."
Jamie flicked his eyes to Roy.
Roy was staring at him, one eyebrow up. Jamie knew what the other man was asking with that look.
"Yeah," Jamie said, not looking away from Roy. "I can do that."
"Excellent, and when you come back home, we can all have dinner together like this," she said.
Jamie smiled when Roy nodded.
"You better keep up the training in Manchester."
Jamie rolled his eyes and went back to the taco mince. When dinner was cooked, Roy instructed Phoebe to get all of the plates out and set the table. They ate dinner, watched some Australian kids show called The Inbestigators before everyone went to bed.
"Will you read to me tonight, Jamie?"
Jamie froze and looked at Roy, the other man looked like he'd been tackled out of nowhere on the pitch.
"Isn't that what Uncle Roy does?"
Phoebe nodded. "I want to see if you're any good at it."
"Do it," Roy said. "I'm going to have a shower."
Jamie nodded and watched Roy walk away. Phoebe ran off to get changed and Jamie sat on the couch not sure what to do about having just stolen Roy's job.
"Ready, Jamie," Phoebe called out. He grabbed the stool from next to the couch and took it into her room and sat it next to the bed. He sat down and looked at Phoebe as she crawled under the covers.
"What are you reading?" he asked, looking around for a book.
"No, you can't read that book, that's what Uncle Roy is reading me, you have to tell me a different story."
Jamie didn't know what to do, he'd never told a story that wasn't a football artichoke. But she was looking at him like he knew what to do.
"Once upon a time, there was a princess named Phoebe, who didn't like poetry and embroidery, she liked dragons and learning how to fight with a sword. When she would take a break from the dragon-raising and sword-fighting, she would watch the knights play a game with a ball that they only ever kicked it with their feet. Princess Phoebe wanted to play too but her mean king, Uncle Roy,"
"Oi," Roy said from behind him. Jamie winked at Phoebe.
"Her lovely uncle and king, King Roy of Kent, told her she couldn't play football because she was a girl and girls were only supposed to ride horses on a stupid saddle and knit bonnets. Princess Phoebe would sneak out of her room in the castle at night and play football in the small, hidden garden that was just hers. One night her mother, the very fit Princess Ruth."
"Oi," Roy reached out and flicked Jamie on the ear.
"Uncle Roy, don't do that," Phoebe said, scandalised before she giggled.
"Princess Ruth found Princess Phoebe in the garden and watched as her daughter played. When Phoebe was done, she found her mother watching her but Princess Ruth wasn't mad, she took her daughter up to bed and tucked her in and then told her all about how when King Roy was a very small boy he used to play football too but that he hurt his knee and couldn't play anymore. Then Princess Ruth told Phoebe about an excellent knight and footballer called Knight Jamie who could teach her to play. Knight Jamie was best friends with King Roy, who wished he could play football as well as the gorgeous knight with perfect hair."
Phoebe laughed. "I like Knight Jamie."
"He sounds like a prick."
Jamie laughed. "Nope, he's the best. The opposite of ugly, conformist, and dull. Which King Roy told him regularly. Knight Jamie began training Princess Phoebe the next day and soon she was the very best footballer in the Kingdom of Kent."
Roy grunted behind Jamie who liked this bedtime story thing.
"Don't go, Uncle Roy, you're next."
"What?"
"You can read to me after Jamie finishes his story."
"You little sneak, are you trying to get two stories tonight?"
Phoebe grinned at him. Jamie's chest eased knowing that she still wanted Roy's story.
"That was really good, Jamie, will you tell me another one tomorrow?"
Jamie nodded, so pleased he didn't think he should talk…he'd have to start thinking of the story in the morning.
TBC...
