Wednesday, 16th November 2022
Jamie hated 4am training.
He dragged himself out of bed with the alarm and was currently doing burpees in the middle of a patch of trees while Roy rested his knee and watched him. They weren't even fucking counting yet.
"What time did you get in last night?" Roy asked.
"Too fucking late," Jamie panted out. "It hurts, can we count?"
"It only hurts because you're tired."
"I know," Jamie ground out. "Keeley and I were sat on her floor until too fucking late last night and now I'm tired."
"Do you want to stop?" Roy asked suddenly, looking serious.
Jamie paused. "Burpees, yes please."
"If you don't want to keep-"
"I'm not going to stop 4am fucking training," Jamie cut Roy off. "Just made a bad choice last night and stayed up too late."
"Just a bad choice?"
"You know how the time can fly with Keels."
Roy nodded dumbly. "I do."
"Heya, what do you do for Christmas? Mummy is asking if the schedule will let me go up this year and I want to be there for the baby's first Christmas, do you and Ruth do something?"
"Depends on when she's working." Roy said. "You can stop the burpees, but we're running the long way back."
Jamie bit back his smile. "If she is, you can come with me."
"With you?"
"For a mad dash up to Manchester to see me Mummy."
"I might have Phoebe."
"She ever been on a charter flight? I'm leaving just after training finishes and flying back first thing Boxing Day for the evening match."
"I don't know about what Ruth is doing but your Christmas should be about you and your family."
"Offer stands," Jamie told him, feeling the wind knock out of him as the smile fell of his face.
"Let's go," Roy said, "high knees."
Jamie groaned and started running…with high knees.
-)(-)(-
"Keels," Jamie said, walking away from Roy and towards Keeley who was standing with Rebecca. "Hey, Rebecca."
"Jamie," Rebecca said.
"Rebecca offered me an office here for a couple of days while we get everything finalised," Keeley told Jamie.
"Thanks, Rebecca," Jamie said. "That's really kind."
"Totally selfish," Rebecca told him. "Now, Keeley can have lunch with me when she's in."
Keeley smiled. "Come up when you have a minute, yeah?"
Jamie nodded. "I'll check with…" Jamie frowned, Roy wasn't there anymore. He turned back to Keeley with a shrug. "I'll check with Roy and let ya know."
"Yeah, babes."
-)(-)(-
Isaac and Sam looked towards Jamie. Jamie shrugged at them.
Roy yelled out, "whistle!"
The team sagged and started walking towards Roy, Beard, and Nate.
"What's wrong with Roy," Dani asked. "He is coaching like he is possessed by Lucifer himself."
Jamie nodded. "He was fine…at 4am training. Was actually really nice about the fact I was so tired after my night at Keeley's."
The team stopped walking and Jamie slammed right into Richard's back.
"What?" Jamie asked, looking around to find everyone staring at him.
"Keeley?"
"She's helpin' me with the final stages of the foundation gala launch. You're all still comin' ta the launch, yeah?"
"Of course we are," Isaac said.
"Mint, she's gonna be here part time while she's working on it."
"Will Barbara be here too?" Zoreaux asked.
Jamie rolled his eyes. "Just ask her out, mate, you're a fucking footballer; it's pathetic you can't ask out a weird CFO."
Zoreaux started walking away. "Who said I wanted to ask her out."
"We all know," Dani told him, catching up and bumping Zoreaux's hip; Zoreaux didn't flinch. "You would make a lovely couple, and I could be best man."
"My sister would be best man," Zoreaux told him. "If I liked her."
Jamie started following too, stepping around Richard. "I'm going to drag Roy into the boot room to work out what bug is up his arse."
"Fucking hell," Isaac mumbled.
"Captain?" Jamie asked, turning and walking backwards so he could look at Isaac.
Isaac looked at Colin and then back at Jamie. "Nothing."
"Mint, see you soon," Jamie turned and sprinted off towards the coaches.
Jamie stopped next to the Roy. "Good training session."
Nate looked at him and then nodded.
"That's one way of putting it," Beard said, stepped back and started towards the building, Nate following behind him.
Jamie cocked an eyebrow at Roy. "Let's have a chat in the boot room."
"Why?"
"Because Dani thinks you may be possessed by a demon."
Roy growled and rolled his eyes.
"Come on, Roy-o," Jamie said, heading for the locker room. "Let me do some Roy-wrangling."
"I don't need to be wrangled," Roy growled.
Jamie bumped into Roy and lowered his voice. "The boys think you do, so let's go into the boot room and let me kiss you into a better mood."
"You want to kiss me?" Roy asked, stopping dead.
Jamie rolled his eyes to the sky. "Always, thought you understood that by now."
"Boot room," Roy told him, "and make sure Will isn't there."
"Aye, aye, Captain," Jamie said, bouncing off to get there first.
Roy closed the door behind him when he walked into the boot room and collected Jamie up until the younger man had to hop up and wrap his arms and legs around Roy.
"Your knee."
"Shut up," Roy growled, one hand on Jamie's arse and the other reaching out for the wall so he could press Jamie into it.
Jamie nodded and slid his fingers into Roy's hair, tilting his head so he could really kiss the older man.
"No orgasms," Roy grumbled, biting down hard on Jamie's neck.
"If you do that, I'm going to have to fucking come for you," Jamie warned.
Roy bit down harder.
Jamie moaned and buried his head in Roy's neck, trying not to let everyone outside know that he was about to come in his pants, rubbing one out against Roy's abs.
"Roy," Jamie moaned. "Please."
"Say my name again," Roy told him.
Jamie started chanting Roy's name, with each thrust of Roy rubbing against his cock inside of his compression shorts…he probably shouldn't come in them, his spend would never come out. His voice hit a higher pitch and the next moment he was coming, his head thumping back hard into the wall behind him.
"Roy," Jamie moaned out one last time, his cock kicking between them.
"Good lad," Roy said, gently lowering Jamie to the ground. He didn't let go, allowed his body to press into Jamie's to keep the younger man upright while he tried to catch his breath.
"You're still hard," Jamie mumbled.
"We'll take care of that when we get home."
Jamie shook his head. "I have to go and meet Keeley to talk about the foundation's launch so we can get everything planned and ready before December. We're sending invites and media releases next week."
Roy nodded.
"But, if you make dinner, I'll make dessert."
Roy growled. "You're not allowed to have dessert," Roy reminded him.
"Roy," Jamie clarified, looking Roy in the eyes. "My arse is the dessert."
Roy smiled, wide, making his eyes crinkle in the corners. "Fine, go and have a good meeting and I'll cook dinner."
Jamie smiled and pulled down his pants.
"Jamie?"
He pulled his compression shorts out from his other shorts and cleaned himself up before folding them and tucking them under his arm. Then he pulled his kit shorts back up.
"Don't need the boys to see me shorts stuck to me cock with come."
Roy growled and nodded, before heading for the door.
-)(-)(-
Jamie watched Isaac walk out of Keeley's office on his way in.
"You getting some work with Keeley too?" Jamie asked the captain.
Isaac nodded. "She's finally been able to set me up with a campaign for rolos."
"The chocolate?"
Isaac nodded.
"Mint."
"What are you doing here?" Isaac asked.
"Got a meeting with her about the foundation."
"Bit late, innit?" Isaac asked.
"Nah, couldn't get away before so she's staying back."
"How are you getting home? Isn't Roy finished for the day?"
"I'll catch a lift with Keels or get an uber, man, thanks for the offer."
Jamie clapped Isaac on the upper arm and walked into the office. "Hey, Keeley."
"Jamie!"
"I brought chocolate."
"That's why you're my favourite."
Jamie laughed as he closed the door.
-)(-)(-
"Thanks, Keels, wanna come in and check out Roy's house. You haven't been here have you? The main part's all done now."
"The main part?"
"Roy's putting in a pool and gym in the cellar."
"How?"
"They braced the house and did the earthworks before laying new foundations, adding the pool, and now they are building the walls again and sorting out the water proofing to keep it from getting damp with the pool down there which will make it worse. Going to be mint when it's done, Phoebe is so fucking excited."
"I bet, are you looking forward to it too?"
"I will enjoy the pool for as long as I'm living here. I've been working with my real estate agent looking for a place for meself."
"Why?" Keeley asked.
"Can't live here forever, can I?" Jamie's phone buzzed; he pulled it from his pocket. "You coming in? Roy just messaged to see where I was because dinner is ready, there should be enough for you."
Keeley shook her head. "Not tonight, thanks, Jamie."
"Thanks for all of your help, Keeley," Jamie said, leaning over and pressing a kiss to her cheek before climbing out of the car.
He walked through the door and hung his bag up before stooping to collect Cruyff into his chest. "Hey, Roy, I'm here."
"I know, you just messaged me."
Jamie laughed and kicked off his shoes before walking towards the kitchen and seeing Roy plating their dinner.
"Want some water?" Jamie asked.
"Get me a beer."
Jamie looked at Roy in surprise but grabbed the bottle along with the milk for himself. Jamie gave Cruyff another scratch under the chin and then put her down before washing his hands and sorting their drinks. He took them both over to the table and put them down before he sat down in his chair and smiled at Roy.
"Me dad messaged me about tickets to the Man City game on the weekend."
"What!"
Jamie shrugged. "I got Leslie to sort them, he's sober so-"
"You've been in fucking contact with that piece of shit."
Jamie sighed. "Yeah, sorta, he messaged me a couple months ago and explained he had been in rehab…court mandated but that it was working."
"Please tell me you haven't gone to see him."
"No," Jamie shook his head. "Told him I weren't ready for that."
"Good," Roy put Jamie's plate down. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I…weren't sure what was going to come of it…weren't sure if you'd want to know."
"Of course I want to know," Roy said, sitting down, hooking his ankle around Jamie's. "I want to know everything."
Jamie smiled at him. "You made risotto."
"You like my risotto."
"Of course I do, you make the fucking stock yourself and everything."
"I'll make you a traditional one in the off-season."
"I should start a fucking list; you're going to be cooking me something new every day at this rate."
Roy smiled up at Jamie and then nodded at Jamie's plate. "Eat, before it gets cold."
Jamie started eating, savouring every bite; if Roy didn't make his own stock Jamie wouldn't be able to eat something like this in season, but it was something the older man only pulled out of his cooking repertoire sometimes.
After dinner, Roy pulled out his laptop with a grumble.
"What ya need to do tonight?"
"Fucking scouting reports," Roy said. "I hate them."
Jamie nodded and stood to start doing the dishes. Roy made himself a cup of tea and sat at the table, grumbling at the screen.
"Can you please stop that?" Roy asked, as Jamie was stacking the dishwasher.
"Stop what?"
"You're singing."
"Didn't realise."
"Some song from the latest Taylor Swift album."
Jamie laughed. "I'll try to stop then."
Roy went back to reading. Jamie finished stacking the dishwasher and turned it on. He wiped down the counters and then went into the laundry to clean out Cruyff's kitty litter and feed the cat his dinner. Cruyff tried to climb Jamie's pant leg while he set the bowl down.
"Dinner time, Cruyff."
"You're still singing," Roy told Jamie when he came back into the kitchen to wash his hands.
"I didn't realise."
"These are hard enough to read already," Roy grumbled. "Please stop."
Jamie looked at the mug sitting on the side of the sink. "How do you always, always put a cup in the sink when you know I've just put the dishwasher on?"
"Because I've just finished it."
"Every time."
"I like a cuppa after dinner, you put the dishwasher on straight after we eat, of course things aren't going to get in there."
"But every night it's a cup…why do you never say you're almost done."
"Why do you never ask me if I have anything?"
"I'm standing right here," Jamie said. "In front of you, packing the dishwasher."
"You turned it on, so obviously it was full."
"I could have fit the last fucking teacup."
"Then wait until I'm done."
"Tell me you're almost done."
"I finished it before you started the dishwasher."
"What?"
"Unlike you, it doesn't take me thirty minutes to drink a single cup of tea."
"What does the time I take to drink a cup of tea…which I haven't even had in three months because of the meal plan…as you fucking well know."
"Just because the dishwasher is on, doesn't mean that you can't use more fucking dishes."
"I never said it did," Jamie told him, feel how hot his skin was. "But I turned it on, and you were done with your fucking teacup, and didn't say anything?"
"It's just a teacup."
"And I was just singing."
"Fucking annoying."
"Exactly!"
"What the fuck?"
"You don't want me to fucking sing…when I didn't even realise I was doing it, just because you hate reading scouting reports, but I'm not allowed to want you to tell me that you're finished with the teacup so I can put it in the dishwasher?"
"This is work, that's just the dishes."
Jamie threw his hands up in the air. "I'm going to have a fucking shower."
"I'll get my fucking pyjamas while you're in there."
"What?"
"So I can sleep down here."
"In case I sing in my sleep?"
"So I can drink as much fucking tea as I want."
Jamie stormed up the stairs and went into the shower, sliding the door closed between the bathroom and bedroom. He dropped his head onto the cool tile and let the hot water pound down onto his back. When he came out, Roy's pyjamas and book missing from the room. Jamie sighed; he wanted to cry. He and Roy had been rubbing along together so well and now they'd had a stupid fight because Roy could be an arse. Fights weren't for best friends who also had sex. This felt like the beginning of the actual end. If they started fighting, how long before Roy decided it was too hard to be casual sex having best friends who lived together?
Jamie rubbed at his face and climbed into bed. He reached out for his book but just flicked through the pages, looking at pictures of Egyptian hieroglyphics and temples without taking anything in. He felt nauseous, worried and scared. He'd thought he would be okay when they eventually ended but it felt real now in a way it hadn't before. He hated lying in this bed knowing that Roy wasn't coming to bed next to him; the room was too quiet, the sheets too cold. He sighed and turned off the light, turning on his sleep app for the first time since Roy had started sleeping next to him every night. He wriggled back and forth, curled himself around a pillow, laid back flat and tried to imagine every part of his body slowly falling to sleep until he reached his brain and tried to focus on his breathing.
Jamie didn't think he'd fallen asleep but then he felt the bed dip next to him.
"Wha'?" he mumbled.
"Stupid of me to sleep downstairs when I wanted to be here," Roy said, pressing himself into Jamie's side.
Jamie woke up and turned into Roy. "I didn't know I was singing."
Roy shook his head. "I don't mind when you sing."
"I do it a lot?"
Roy nodded, pressing a kiss to Jamie's forehead. "It's good, and I'll try tell you about the teacup."
"I don't know why I find it so annoying."
"You like the kitchen to be clean before you go to bed. Noticed your mum does the same."
Jamie yawned and pressed closer. "We used to do it together at night."
Roy pulled Jamie even closer, pressing a line of kisses to Jamie's skin.
"I didn't like coming to bed alone," Jamie admitted, then wished he could suck the words back into his mouth.
"Me either," Roy told him. "Let's sort out the fight next time."
Jamie went limp in Roy's arms…next time, he wasn't kicking Jamie out. "Yes."
"Go to sleep, sorry for waking you up, babe."
"You don't," Jamie said on a yawn, "normally call me babe."
"Do you mind?"
Jamie shook his head, too tired to even think about responding. He didn't notice Roy kiss him again on the forehead or what the other man said as he started snoring softly.
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