Friday, 9th September 2022

Jamie heard the final whistle and sagged. The other team had been dangerously close to tying with them. Richard collided with his side, almost knocking him over. Jamie steadied himself and breathed, it had been so close, he could feel the joy sitting just behind the thumping adrenaline that had had his mind moving fast trying to work out what play to try next.

The team carried him through the celebration and into the locker room.

"You okay, Jamie?" Sam asked.

"Just feeling a bit amped about it getting so close," Jamie said, waving a hand. "Let's celebrate."

"Amazing work everyone," Roy called. "I'm proud of you!"

The team started singing the song as soon as Roy was done, their voices loud and happy in the wake of their gaffer's praise. Jamie joined it but he couldn't shake the game, Roy finally pulled him just to the side.

"You okay?"

"I can't stop thinking about how close they got."

"Would have been closer if you hadn't played like a fucking man possessed."

Jamie felt something loosen in his chest.

"You're a big part of why we won," Roy told him. "Jamie fucking Tartt."

"Jamie fucking Tartt," Jamie agreed, grinning.

"I'm coming over tonight," Roy told him, before pushing Jamie into the group.

The team celebrated, heading to Ola's for food and drinks before most of them decided to continue on somewhere else to ensure the celebration didn't end.

"Nah, not me," Jamie said. "I'm on the grandad training plan, early to bed, up at 3:30am, no alcohol, no sugar, no fun but fucking mint physical performance and dominance."

Sam shoved him to the side, and Colin returned the shove from the other.

"I'll fund drinks for the end of season celebration," Jamie said, "but we're getting fucking happy."

The team cheered and Jamie left them to it, catching an uber to Platypus Green. Roy met him there, sitting at the bench in the kitchen, with water and something to eat that was on his meal plan before taking him to bed and overwhelming every one of Jamie's senses until he didn't even realise he'd come until Roy was cleaning it off his chest.

"Fuck, Roy."

"Feel better about the game now?" Roy asked, kissing at the skin of Jamie's upper arm, across his shoulder, up his neck and to the spot behind his ear.

Jamie nodded.

"Then go to sleep," Roy told him, curling his body around Jamie's.

"Can I be big spoon?" Jamie asked.

"Yes," Roy said, letting go and turning over so Jamie could turn over and curl his body around Roy's, taking the time to run his hands along Roy's skin until he found the comfortable spot.

"Is your knee okay?"

Roy nodded, tucking a pillow under it to give it more support.

Jamie stayed awake until he felt Roy's breathing change and that snuffle of a snore start. He had loved the feeling of Roy curled around him but if he was only going to get this sometimes, he wanted to make sure he got to experience as much as possible of the life he wanted but felt completely out of reach.

Roy stayed all weekend, wrapping his arms around Jamie the next night when Jamie arranged himself draped over Roy's chest. Jamie played with his chest hair, running his fingers through it, until he fell asleep and was still there the next morning.

Roy left again on Monday morning, bag in his car.

Jamie sighed but figured he could work with this.

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