Local fic writer

The first signs of trouble were the weird sounds your car was making. Screeching and relative not good noises. You knew there was something wrong, but you needed to get to work so you kept going anyway. Hopefully you could make it there without anything else acting up.

But luck was not on your side. Before you knew it you had to pull over on the shoulder and call a tow-truck. But first you had to find a number for a tow-truck. You picked up your phone and looked up the nearest place. Not too bad. Only a few miles. So you called, telling them the situation and they said they could make it in about twenty-five minutes.

You decided to just sit in your car. What else were you going to do? Well, besides calling your work and telling them you’d be late. If you even were able to come in at all. Luckily they understood.

The tow-truck was right on time. Twenty-five minutes like they said. When they arrived, they agreed to drive you and your car to the nearest auto repair center. That wasn’t too far either.

The place was small. Not a huge chain. But you didn’t mind. Might even cost less this way.

You got out of the tow truck and they handled pulling your car where it needed to go. You just watched it all happen, hoping they could take care of it quickly.

While you were watching, a man walked up to you. He was tall, a bit lanky, and had a shit ton of grease on his hands. Must be one of the mechanics.

“There’s places to sit. If you want.” You were very interested in this prospect.

“Thanks.” You said, following him.

“So, your car gave out?” He asked. You nodded.

“Yeah. It was making some weird noises and then it puttered out.”

“What kind of noises?” He questioned.

“Some screeching. And then some rattling.” You described. He nodded, seeming satisfied, and went to work.

You were left to your own devices. You figured you’d be there for a while. Maybe you could get some work done from here.

You tried answering some emails, but it was useless. The internet sucked and you really couldn’t pay much attention to them. Instead, you watched the man working on your car. He seemed to know his way around a car. Of course he did. That was his job. But still, you could notice how competent he seemed. Especially how good he was with his hands.

No, you didn’t need to notice that. He was just fixing your car. But he was really good looking. You couldn’t help but watch a little. Still, you looked away before he noticed, instead acting like you were hard at work with your phone.

Him on the other hand… he looked up from your car at you. He didn’t know how he was able to talk to you. He thought you were pretty. He kept glancing at you every once in a while. Of course, he was giving your car proper attention, but still. He couldn’t help it. Still, he looked away before you noticed, instead actually working on your car.

A while later he approached you. You looked up from a mobile game you had ended up playing.

“Your brake pads needed replacing. The battery and alternator were having some problems as well. But it’s fixed now.” You nodded, though you had no clue what that meant.

“So, it’s all ready to go?” You questioned. He nodded.

“You’re all set.”

“Thank you so much. You’re a lifesaver.” You said, beaming at him. It nearly made his heart stop.

With his heart beating a bit faster, he led you to the reception area of the shop. He did his calculations on everything and while he did it he had what he thought was a great idea.

“What would usually be 600 dollars will be 100 for you.” He said and you nearly couldn’t believe it. What did that even mean?

“I’m sorry, what?”

“I figured you were having a shit day, might as well make it less shitty.” He said with a shrug, pointedly not making eye contact. You were nearly too shocked to speak.

“Are you sure that’s okay?” You questioned.

“Yeah. I’m the co-owner of this place. Only the other owner would care.” He was sure that if he explained it, Bud wouldn’t care.

“Well, thank you. So much. That really helps.” You pulled out your wallet, actually confident that you could pay for this now.

As he handed the receipt for you to sign, a new idea was popping up in your head.

As you signed your name, you added your number. Just in case he wanted to ever use it. He was good looking and really fucking nice for that. You might as well try. You might be devastated if he never called, but at least you’d have tried.

You double-checked the number before handing the receipt over. He took it but didn’t seem to notice the number, much to your disappointment. He handed over your copy of the receipt and exchanged goodbyes.

He was trying not to freak out at the number on the receipt. He was very excited to use it, but he didn’t want to seem weird. He was ignorant to the fact that it looked like he had no reaction at all. It was only him trying to stay calm. Though it translated horribly to his facial features. Still, he was definitely going to use it. And hope that Bud understood the discount.

You got into your car, trying not to think of the mortifying thing you just did. At least to you it felt mortifying. But now you could just focus on driving to work, which you’re still able to go to. The whole car fixing hadn’t taken too long.

While you were walking into work your phone dinged. You held your breath, looking to see what it was.

Unknown Number: Hey, this is Lonny. The guy that fixed your car.

You were surprised to see that it was actually him, but so happy. You added his contact to your phone.

YN: Hey! Glad you used my number.

Lonny: I was honestly surprised you left it.

YN: Hope it was a good surprise.

Lonny: Yeah! It was. I was glad you left it.

YN: Great! That’s a relief.

Lonny: Would you wanna go out sometime?

YN: Yes, I’d love to.

Lonny: Awesome!

Bud watched over his shoulder.

"Good for you." He said. Lonny swatted him away. "I'm serious. Must've been a special one since you gave them such a huge discount."

"I thought you said it was okay?" Lonny questioned, voice sounding worried.

"I'm just messing with you. I'm actually happy for you."

Lonny was relived. And very excited about the date you'd said yes to.

You were practically running to the train, post-it secured in your pocket. You slowed down a bit, just to make sure you didn’t sound insane when you got on.

You took your seat beside him and before he could even greet you, you took the post-it out and handed it over.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever see you again so here. It’s my number.” You said. He took the note, a little stunned.

“Where are you going?” He sounded sad. Maybe that was a good sign.

“I’ve only been taking the train because my car was in the shop. I don’t know when it’ll be fixed but since I don’t work this weekend I didn’t want to miss my chance.”

“Oh, I see.” Was all he said.

“You don’t have to use it. I just thought it might be useful. I really like talking to you.”

“I like talking to you too.” He said, a bit rushed. “I’ll definitely use it.”

“Good.”

“It makes sense now. Why I haven’t seen you around before.” He commented.

“Yup. Never took the train before now.” You regretted not doing it before.

“Well, you aren’t missing much.” He laughed lightly.

“If I hadn’t taken the train I never would have met you. And that’s missing out on a lot.”

He blushed at that. He’d never really heard anything that nice from anyone and he really didn’t know how to take it.

“Thank you.” He said, a little quiet. And then after a short pause. “This isn't a fake number, is it?” He questioned. You almost laughed but at the same time it was sad to hear. You shook your head.

“No, god no. It’s real. You can call me right now if you want.” You offered.

“I trust you. Just wanted to make sure.” He shrugged.

“And you’re going to actually use it, right?” You questioned back. He nodded with a small smile.

“Of course.”

“Good.” You nodded.

Your stop came up next and you did your normal routine. Said goodbye to Abner and waved when you stepped off. But this time there was a growing pit in your stomach. You couldn’t stop thinking about if he’d actually message you or not. Maybe he was just being nice. Didn’t actually want to talk to you anymore. Saw this as an escape route. Now you weren’t going to be on the train bothering him anymore.

You shook your head. You didn’t need to think like that. He genuinely seemed sad that you weren’t going to be there anymore and genuinely excited about the prospect of talking to you more. This was just your brain making worst case scenarios. You just had to tell yourself until you were proven otherwise.

You made your way into your apartment. You hadn’t gotten a message yet, so you set your phone on a table and walked away for a bit. You tried to distract yourself. You tried reading, watching something, even just cleaning. But you could never really get into it. Your mind was just focused on keeping out for a little beep.

You were half focused on cleaning the kitchen when that beep finally came. You were honestly about to go to bed. Call it a night and hope the next day would be more fruitful. But it seemed like the wait was over.

Unknown number: Hello, it’s Abner.

You smiled down at your phone, taking a seat on the couch.

You: Hey Abner, nice to hear from you.

You quickly changed his name in your phone. You had to fight off the urge to add a heart or something else equally bad.

Abner: Nice to see the number worked.

You: I told you it would.

Abner: I know. Just nice to have proof.

You: Fair. Do you usually get fake numbers?

You didn’t know why you asked it. You didn’t really want to know. But you didn’t have time to change your mind before you hit the send button.

Abner: Never really gotten any numbers before lol

You: Well, you have a 100% success rate now.

Abner: That is true.

You: So, what are you up to?

Abner: Just sitting down. Not much honestly. But beforehand I was dealing with a work thing. That’s why it took so long to message you. Sorry about that by the way.

You: You don’t need to explain. It’s fine! Are you usually on call?

Abner: I answer whenever my patients need me. So, I guess, yeah.

You: That’s really nice.

Abner: Just what needs to be done.

You: Still. You should give yourself credit from time to time.

Abner: It’s easier said than done. I still feel like there’s more I could do. But my work is boring. We don’t need to keep talking about it.

You: Sorry, this is still work related, but are you working Sunday?

Abner: No. I have the day off.

You: Want to do something?

Abner: Like what?

You: Let’s get coffee or something.

Abner: Sure.

You: Cool.

Cool? You were practically cringing. But you didn’t know how else to respond. You figured this was already too forward. You didn’t want to scare him off with something like “Awesome, and then maybe you could come over. Hell, maybe even move in.” Coffee was good. Coffee was a normal outing.

Abner: I really want to keep talking but I’m very tired. So good night. Send me the place to meet whenever you can.

You: Will do! Night Abner!

With that, you sent the location and the time, then put your phone down. You could feel yourself smiling from ear to ear. You were so excited that you almost couldn’t see sleep in your future. You just wanted to think about Sunday.

Still, you did finally manage to go to sleep.

Abner not so much. He was practically freaking out now. He was actually going to see you Sunday, on a day off, when you really didn’t have to see him at all. He was very excited.

Hell, the reason it took so long for him to contact you was partially due to the patient problem, but also due to him just staring at his phone, trying to figure out what exactly he wanted to send. He didn’t want to mess up and he’d never really done anything like this before. He didn’t want to scare you away either.

It was Friday now. You hadn’t realized it until you were half-way to the train. You weren’t going to be at work tomorrow, meaning you weren’t going to see Abner until Monday. And that was only if your car was still in the shop. You had to do something about this. You couldn’t just leave it at that.

Still, you’d wait a bit. Maybe talk to Cleo about it. But you already knew what she would say. She’d tell you to go for it.

“Good morning.” You greeted Abner, taking the seat.

“Good morning.”

“Happy Friday.” That sounded so fucking lame.

“Oh, I work tomorrow. But thanks.” Even worse.

“That sucks.” He shrugged.

“It isn’t too bad.”

“Right.” You nodded.

“Thanks though.” He smiled. You just nodded. You definitely couldn’t say anything else now. You just lowered your head a bit and gave a yawn.

“I’m so tired.” You commented. Maybe that could be your excuse for not talking that much.

“Didn’t sleep well?” There was genuine concern in his voice, you noted. You shook your head.

“I slept okay. I’ll get through it. Wake up fully eventually.” That was a lie. You didn’t sleep well. But you usually didn’t. Some days you were better at hiding it than others.

“I hope so.”

“Thanks.”

It was pretty quiet until your stop came up. You regretted not speaking more, but you didn’t have much time now.

“Have a good day at work.” You commented.

“You too.” He smiled. You got off the train, heading to work.

You walked straight up to Cleo when you got there.

“I need advice. Or help. Or both.”

“Slow down there. What’s up?”

“I’m not working tomorrow so I won’t see Abner and I don’t know when my car is getting fixed. This could be the last day I see him.”

“Then give him your number.” She said as if it was obvious.

“But what if he doesn’t want it. Or takes it and never calls me.”

“Then that’s that. But you have to try.”

“Why does it have to be this hard?”

“I don’t know. Just life I guess.” She shrugged at that. You shook your head.

“Well life fucking sucks.”

“Yup.”

You got on the train at the end of a long work day and made your way to the seat next to Abner.

“How was your day?” You asked.

“Same as every day.” He said. You just nodded at that.

“Well, I hope it was good.” You added.

“It was.” He smiled at you and you wanted to capture that image to keep forever. “What about yours?” He adds a beat later.

“Not too bad.” It definitely was getting better now. But you didn’t say that.

“That’s good.”

You sat in silence for a few moments. Again, your research was not panning out how you thought it would. It was one thing to read about how to talk to people and another thing to put it into practice.

“All the animals doing good?” He questioned. You nodded.

“Yes. Luckily, I didn't have to do much today.”

“Good, that sounds really good.” You nodded again.

“Kids doing good?”

“Yes, I think so.”

“That also sounds really good.” You both laughed quietly at that. Even though it felt slightly awkward to you, it still was nice to talk to him.

Another long silence took root. You didn’t move to get a book or your phone though. You just sat in it, even though you wanted to keep talking. You just weren’t sure what to say.

Luckily, Abner was the one to speak this time.

“Other than work, what do you do?”

You thought about it for a moment. “Watch TV. Read.” You shrugged, suddenly feeling very hollow. What kind of an answer was that? It was the truth, but still. “What about you?”

“Pretty much the same. It’s dumb but I also garden a bit.”

“That’s not dumb. That sounds really nice.”

“Thank you.” He looked down at his feet. You wanted nothing more than to see this garden. It sounded beautiful to you.

You couldn’t bring yourself to say anything else. So you just nodded and stayed silent. This time the silence lasted till your stop.

“See you tomorrow.” You said.

Abner’s walk to work was way better than usual. And it had to do with his friend on the train. He liked you a lot. And luckily, he’d learned more about you. You seemed open to conversation, so that was obviously a good sign, at least he thought it was.

But even the past few days were better than most. He had something to look forward to after each day, even if the interactions were brief. It felt nice to have something.

And his coworker, Harley, definitely noticed too.

“What’s got ya in a good mood?” She questioned. He looked at her, confused.

“I don’t know what you mean.” He answered.

“Sure you don’t.” She said with a laugh. “Come on, spill.”

He shrugged. “I just had a nice conversation on the train today.”

She furrowed her brows. “And that’s what has you so happy? I guess it’s nice to find happiness in small things.” She shrugged.

“Well, not exactly. I just… like this person. A little. It’s nothing really.” He didn’t want to admit it, but he knew there was no point lying to Harley.

She gave him a pointed look. “Sure… but that’s so cute Abner.” She smiled. She was honestly just glad to see him happy about something.

“It’s really nothing. I’ve barely talked to them.” He shrugged.

“If it makes you happy then it’s not nothing.” She assured him. He just gave a small smile. He appreciated Harley’s words but he was also internally screaming about this whole conversation.

“Well, I have to get back to work. I imagine you have stuff to do too.” He said, hoping that this would be the end of the conversation. At least for now.

Tomorrow came and you were practically giddy to get back on the train. You had spent a decent chunk of your night trying to look up how to keep a conversation going. A lot of what you found was cheesy, but some of it was helpful. You had a decent starting point at least.

So when the train pulled up, you made your way to sit beside him. You didn’t pull out a book or your phone, instead turning to him.

“Do you have a long train ride?” You asked. He must not have guessed you were going to talk to him.

“Um, about 35 minutes.” He answered.

“That’s gotta be annoying.”

“It’s gotten better recently.” He smiled at you and you couldn’t help but get your hopes up.

“Well I’m glad. But what do you do that has you travel that long?”

“My job.” You looked at him expectantly. “Oh, right, I’m a therapist. I focus on children.” He explained.

“That’s really impressive.” You nodded and he smiled sheepishly.

“It’s nothing really.” He shrugged. “What about you?”

“I’m a veterinarian.”

“That’s impressive too.” You smiled at that.

“Thanks.”

The conversation died down. Perhaps your research wasn’t as helpful as you thought. It was the longest conversation you two had yet, so it wasn’t a total loss.

“Hope all your animals are well.” Abner said as your stop came up. You smiled at him and nodded.

“Hope your patients are well too.” You said and walked off.

You arrived at work in a great mood.

“You’re very smiley today.” Cleo commented.

“Huh, I hadn’t noticed.” You responded. She only rolled her eyes.

“Let me guess, train guy?” She asked. You didn’t even respond. “Thought so.”

The next morning you didn’t call Cleo. Instead, you were excited to take the train, if only to see him again.

You didn’t even know his name and yet that’s all you could think about. He hadn’t even spoken to you. But the kind slight smile was enough to have you hooked. Perhaps it was the unending loneliness you felt. But you didn’t want to unpack that right now.

You made your way to the train, getting on and seeking out the other. He was a few seats back and the seat next to him was empty. He looked up as you got on, his eyes meeting yours. You made a beeline for the seat, but before you sat down you asked, just to make sure.

“This seat taken?” You asked. He shook his head. You sat down, but before you put in your headphones like you had been doing, you turned to him.

“Thank you. For keeping the seat open.” You said. He looked at you, eyes slightly wide.

“No problem.” He returned. Now maybe you could justify the slight crush on him. He’d spoken to you. And he had a nice voice, you couldn’t deny it.

But you didn’t want to push any further, instead opting to do your usual. At least you’d gotten something out of him.

As you got off, you gave him another wave and he returned it, more certain this time.

When you made your way into work, Cleo came up to you.

“You didn’t call.” She said. You shook your head and looked around just to make sure no one was looking before speaking.

“There’s a cute guy on the train.” You said with a shrug. Her eyes widened slightly and she smiled.

“Aww, that’s sweet. What’s his name?”

“...I don’t know. I haven’t talked to him much. But he kept the seat next to him open for me.”

“A true gentleman.” You could tell she was joking. But honestly, not many people would’ve done that you don’t think. No one else had at least. You rolled your eyes.

“He’s nice, okay. What more can you ask for?” You certainly didn’t know.

“Common interests. Just throwing that out there. It sounds like you don’t know anything about him.” She shrugged. You couldn’t argue with that.

“He’s not that talkative. I don’t want to ruin it. Then I’d have to stand for the whole ride.” You really didn’t want to do that.

“Put yourself out there. You may be surprised at the results.” You knew she was right. But you couldn’t even imagine where you’d start.

“I’ll think about it.” You said. That seemed to satisfy her.

On the train ride home you took your seat next to the guy. You had decided that you were going to get a name. What was the worst that could happen? If he didn’t want to give you his name you’d just apologize and never try to speak to him again. But you doubted that would happen.

So halfway through the ride home you turned to him.

“What’s your name?” You asked. He practically jumped out of his skin. This was a mistake, you thought.

“Uh, Abner.” He answered.

“That’s really unique.” You said, hoping he’d take it as a compliment. You didn’t mean any disrespect.

“Thanks.” He said.

You gave your own name in return. It was the least you could do.

“Nice to meet you. Formally, I suppose.” He said.

“You too.” You responded. You could feel yourself relaxing. It hadn’t gone horribly and now you had a name to match the face.

The rest of the train ride was uneventful though. Neither of you knew how to keep the conversation rolling, so you returned to your book.

“See you tomorrow.” Abner said as your stop came up. You were surprised but you smiled.

“Is this seat taken?” You asked, looking around to see if anything else was available just in case. But the man in front of you shook his head.

“Thanks.” You said, taking a seat. He just nodded in response.

You weren’t usually one to take the train, but your car was in the shop and this was probably quicker. You hoped at least. And getting a full look at your seat buddy, it could definitely be worse. Though you knew just by looking at him that he wasn’t going to strike up a great conversation with you. At least, that’s what you thought. So instead, you put in your headphones and got a book out.

Before long it was your stop. The guy stayed on the train and you got off, not thinking much of the encounter. Perhaps if you were a more outgoing person, you would’ve talked to him. Try to get at least a small conversation going. But you knew how awkward that could be.

You headed to work, letting the whole thing slip your mind.

Walking into work, Cleo made her way over to you. She was one of your closest coworkers. You thought her endless optimism and kindness was admirable and she thought you were funny. Pretty much a perfect work pair.

“I heard about your car. You should’ve called me, I would’ve given you a ride.” She offered. You shook your head.

“The train ride honestly isn’t that bad. Got a seat and everything.”

“Well, if you want one tomorrow, just call me.” She smiled and you returned it with a smile of your own and a nod.

You were going to keep that in mind. But for now you didn’t mind it.

At the end of the day the whole ordeal had been pretty much forgotten. But as you walked to the train station you couldn’t help but hope the guy from this morning was there.

You hadn’t expected to see him again. You barely even noticed him until you, like before, were desperate to find a seat. You hoped he would let you sit again. You hadn’t been a horrible seat partner, had you?

Well, you were about to find out.

“Hey again, is this seat taken?” You asked. He looked up and again, shook his head, though this time he had a hint of a smile on his face. You thought it was a nice sight but didn’t mention it. At least he seemed to not be annoyed by you.

You took to doing the same as before, not attempting any conversation. It was almost nice. Peaceful, definitely.

But before long it was your stop again. You got off, giving him a little wave. He seemed surprised at first but returned it a few moments later. You were able to see it at the last second.

After a successful match for AFC Richmond, it was time for a press meeting. And Jamie, who had scored the winning goal, was up next. You were in the crowd, close to the back to not draw much attention. This was about him after all. But you did want to be there to support him.

You were always supportive of him, being by his side through a lot. And until recently no one knew about the nature of your relationship. But recently some tabloid articles had started circulating. You weren’t a well-known person. Not famous by any means. So there wasn’t a lot out there about you. So you figured it was only a matter of time until people started asking. You almost didn’t want to be in the press room for this very reason, but you stuck it out for Jamie.

The first few questions started rolling in, pretty tame and mostly about his match performance. “How did that play come about?” “What’s next for Richmond?” “What’s next for you?” All the standard questions asked at these kinds of things. And he answered them perfectly, at least you thought he did.

But then someone had a different question.

“What do you have to say about the dating rumors revolving around you and an unnamed guy?” A journalist asked and you could feel yourself deflate.

“First off, they aren’t a guy. Second off, my private life is private.” He shrugged. You kept your head down even more, definitely not wanting to be noticed now.

More hands went up and you could tell he was a little annoyed. But he kept going anyway. He pointed to another reporter.

“So you are seeing someone? Is she another athlete or well-known in other areas?” The reporter asked.

“Again, I’m not going to speak about this. I’m not even sure if they want to be associated with me.” He shrugged. You almost laughed. Of course you’d want to be associated with him. But you loved that he wasn’t speaking for you. You hadn’t really talked about making your relationship public but you wouldn’t be opposed. It was just a lot to be known in the public eye for something like that.

“So you and her aren’t on good terms?” The same reporter asked. Jamie frowned.

“Their pronouns are they/them. Don’t be a dick about it.” Jamie said. You couldn’t see the reporter’s response to it, but it obviously wasn’t good, as Jamie continued talking. “Alright, get this guy out of here.” Jamie said. Soon after, the man was escorted out.

You were shocked but didn’t say anything. You didn’t want anyone to see you.

“Anyone have anything else to say?” Jamie said, testy with the crowd. But the crowd was silent. The next few questions went back to football. You were more than relieved at that.

As the media junket finished up, you made your way over to Jamie and he walked with you out of the media room. He didn’t seem the least bit surprised to see you there.

“Pretty eventful.” You commented once you were alone.

“I don’t like people being shitty towards you.” He shrugged and you kissed him. He was sweeter than he gave himself credit for, you were sure of that. He was a lot more than he gave himself credit for.

“Well thank you, I appreciate it. And about everything, I don’t care if we go public or if we don’t. I’m fine with either. As long as you're comfortable.” You said.

“I was going to say the same thing. As long as you’re comfortable.” He said.

“Then how about we just don’t do anything about it. Act normal. Who really cares?” You offered. He nodded.

“I like that idea.” He smiled at you, taking your hand in his. You both made your way out of the stadium after saying your proper goodbyes and getting everything you needed.

It was April 1st, though Jamie didn’t remember that. He went right to the locker room and was greeted by the guys laughing at something while huddled up. He didn’t suspect a thing.

“What are you all discussing?” He questioned.

“Nothing, just a secret we heard.” Isaac said, looking at the others.

“Well, you gonna tell me or what?” He asked.

“I don’t know if we should.” It was Sam who spoke this time.

“No, I think we should let him know.” Colin interjected.

“Know what? Either tell me or I’m gonna leave.” Jamie said, getting frustrated.

“You know Y/N, right?” Isaac asked.

Jamie just nodded but on the inside his heart was racing. He liked you. A lot. But you barely talked to him. And half the time Jamie was sure you hated him. He wouldn’t blame you given his reputation but he was getting better these days. You seemed to still ignore him and avoid him.

“Well, we heard they have a crush on you.” Isaac continued. The others laughed but Jamie figured it was just the gossip aspect of it all. His heart skipped a beat.

“Uh… where’d you hear that?” He asked.

“They were talking to Coach Lasso about it. That Diamond Dogs thing they all do.” Isaac said. Yeah, he’d heard of that. But the fact that you were talking to them about him was shocking. He tried to keep his tone steady.

“Cool, I guess.” He shrugged, trying to act as nonchalant as ever.

The guys went back to getting ready for the day ahead while Jamie went to find you. The guys didn’t know about his feelings for you, otherwise they wouldn’t have done this. They just picked the person they thought Jamie never interacted with and thought it would be fun. They didn’t think any feelings would be shared so it’d be harmless. But of course, Jamie really liked you.

He walked into your office, not even bothering to knock. You looked up, surprised.

“What’s up, Jamie?” You questioned.

“I like you. Like, really like you. And I’d like to take you on a date tonight. If you want.” He fumbled out. You stared at him in silence for a moment and then frowned.

“That’s a shitty thing to do, Jamie.” You said, feeling tears start to well up. “Of course you’re still a prick. And to think I had faith that you’d changed.” The tears were falling now but you quickly tried to wipe them from your face.

“What? What the hell are you talking about?” He was utterly confused and didn’t know what he did wrong.

“Get out. I want to be alone.” You said. You didn’t want this going on any longer than it already had.

“But I don’t know wha-”

“Get out!” You yelled, all semblance of professionalism leaving. He figured it was best to leave you be.

He nodded and shut the door, still confused. He went back to the locker room.

“What the fuck you guys? Obviously they don’t like me. They started crying when I asked them on a date.” Jamie said, an edge to his tone. He had no clue what he’d done wrong and he wanted to solve it as soon as possible, but also respected your wish for privacy and space.

“Oh shit. You actually did it.” Isaac said.

“Do you actually like them?” Sam asked.

“Yes! But obviously that didn’t mean anything! We’re supposed to be a team, why’d you set me up like that?” He asked, feeling genuinely hurt.

“...It’s April first. April fool’s day. It was a joke. If we had known you actually liked them, we wouldn’t have done anything.” Isaac assured him.

That’s when it hit Jamie. That’s why you were so sad about what he’d done. Shit, he had to make the right.

“What do I do now?” He asked them. They all looked at each other.

“Well, what did they tell you to do?” Isaac asked.

“Get out of their office. They were crying and everything.” Jamie explained, panicking now.

“Oh that is not good.” Sam said, sounding almost as stressed as Jamie.

Back in your office you were sobbing now. You wondered how Jamie could be so cruel. You must have been audible because soon enough Ted was knocking on your door. You tried to clean up your face but you knew Ted would be able to spot the truth a mile away, so you gave up and called him in.

“You alright?” He asked, concern clear on his face. You shook your head.

“No.” You said, crying even harder now.

“Oh gosh.” He said, stepping inside and closing the door. “What can I do to help?”

“Just be here for me.” You said. He nodded.

“I can do that.”

He reached into his bag and pulled out a pack of tissues. He pulled one out and handed it to you.

“Thank you.” You said, accepting it.

Ted’s presence helped you calm down and soon enough you were able to get a hold of yourself enough to tell him what happened.

“Jamie came in here, today of all days, and told me he liked me. Even asked me out.” You said. Ted looked confused.

“And you don’t like him?” He asked.

“No, I really do like him! But it’s obviously a big joke to him.” You said.

Ted was quiet for a moment, thinking. And then it hit him. His eyes widened.

“Oh, today is April fool’s day. That just ain’t right. That’s horrible. Y/N, I’m so sorry. I’ll talk to him about it right now.” Ted said, getting up, a determined look now on his face.

You stood up as well and shook your head. “No, Ted. Please. I don’t want him to know how bad it hurt. It’ll just give him the satisfaction he was looking for.” You pleaded. He turned and looked at you.

“But something’s gotta be done.” Ted said.

“Just leave it, please.” You said. He was silent for a moment but nodded with a frown.

“Alright. Well, if you need anything just text me.” He said and left.

You sighed, sitting back down.

Ted was on a mission now. He wouldn’t talk to Jamie about it, but he knew who would.

He made his way into the coaching office, hoping Roy was there. Luckily, he was.

“Roy, I need your help with something.” He said as he shut the door. Jamie nodded, signaling him to continue. “Jamie pulled a prank on Y/N and now they’re upset.” He explained.

“What kind of prank?” He asked.

“He told them he liked them. Asked them out.”

“Oh, that’s not right.” Beard interjected.

“I know! And to think we had gotten through to him.” Ted said, shaking his head.

Roy charged out of the office, his eyes set on Jamie. Ted and Beard watched through the window.

“Tartt! Come here!” He said, making his way out of the locker room and into the laundry room.

“I have a problem I’m trying to figure out, so could we hurry this up?” Jamie questioned as he stepped inside.

“The only problem you have is being a prick!” Roy yelled.

“And why is that?” Jamie rolled his eyes. “Or is this just my daily reminder?”

“What you did to Y/N was horrible. Even for you.”

Jamie sighed. “Look, it was an accident. I didn’t know what day it was. I was being serious. The guys told me they liked me and so I went to ask them out and they started crying. I came back to the locker room and they explained everything and tried to help me fix it.” Jamie explained.

Roy was quiet for a moment.

“Fuck. You need to fix this.” Roy said.

“I don’t think they want to see me at the moment.” Jamie said.

“Fix it. Now.” Roy said, exiting the room and going back to the coaching office to tell them what he just learned.

Jamie stood there for a moment, trying to build up the courage to face you again. He took a few deep breaths and headed back towards your office.

He knocked on the door and when you responded with “come in,” he entered.

“Before you say anything, please let me explain.” He pleaded before you could even say anything. You nodded and he continued. “I had no clue what day it was. I was being serious. The guys told me you liked me, not knowing that I liked you as well. So I came in here to ask you out for real.” He said. You frowned for a moment, questioning in your head if it was true.

You settled on letting out a sigh. “Jamie, you must know how unlikely that sounds.” You said.

He nodded. “Yes, I know. But it is the truth. I swear.” He said and the look on his face was convincing enough. You nodded.

“I believe you. I’m sorry for freaking out on you.” You said.

“You aren’t the one who should be apologizing. I’m the one who’s sorry.” He said.

You shrugged. “How about we both just be sorry and to make it up to each other we should actually go on a date.” You proposed. His eyes widened and he nodded.

“That sounds great. I’ll pick you up tonight at eight?” He questioned. You nodded.

You were sort of Keeley’s assistant. That was your unofficial title. So you joined the team on away games. And usually you got to share a room with Keeley. Most hotels had two beds per room so you each would take a bed and stay up talking and watching tv. She was a great friend to you so you quite enjoyed the away games.

But ever since she’d started dating Roy she usually slept with him. You understood why of course, but you usually ended up bunking with whoever didn’t have a room. Sometimes it was Ted, sometimes Rebecca, sometimes it was a player. All of the time it was purely professional and nice. You each went to your separate beds and got good sleep.

But of course this time a wrench had to be thrown into the whole system. First off, you were stuck with Jamie. Sure, he was better nowadays, but you couldn’t help but still have a bit of a bad taste in your mouth when it came to him. He was a prick to you. He hadn’t been recently, but that still didn’t matter. And on top of that he had the audacity to be attractive! The nerve of that guy.

Second off, the room you got stuck with only had one bed. Well, that was just great. Everyone else had two and Ted offered to change with you, ever the gentleman, but you didn’t want him to have a hard time sleeping. He was the coach after all. You could afford to not get good sleep.

No, you just sucked it up, making your way to the room. When you walked in, Jamie was on the floor.

“What are you doing?” You questioned.

“Getting settled for the night.” He said as if it was obvious.

“No, this isn’t going to work. You should take the bed. You have to play tomorrow.” You were surprised he hadn’t already taken the bed. But apparently he was reformed. This was slowly starting to make you think he was.

“Slept in worse conditions.” He shrugged. Knowing a little bit about his dad, you felt bad for him.

“That doesn’t change anything, get on the bed.” You said. He smirked.

“Are you propositioning me?”

“I’m surprised you know that word.” You said sarcastically. He only laughed but made no signs of getting up. You sighed and shook your head. “Stop being dumb. I’m gonna go get ready for bed.” You said, taking your night stuff into the bathroom.

When you exited the bathroom he was still on the floor. He got up though, but headed for the bathroom, not saying anything. You saw this as the perfect opportunity. When the door shut, you laid on the ground in the spot he’d previously been. Now he had to take the bed.

When he made his way out of the bathroom and saw you, he gave a small laugh before walking over.

“Get your ass up, we’re both sleeping in the bed.” He said, accompanying it with an eye roll. You raised your eyebrows.

“Are you sure? That wouldn’t make you uncomfortable?”

“It’d make me more uncomfortable knowing you were sleeping on the ground. Now come on, I don’t have all night.” He said, offering a hand to pull you up. You accepted it and took the pillow with you.

“If I wake up in the middle of the night and you’re on the ground I’m dragging you back up here.” You threatened, though you knew that was probably impossible. He was a professional football player and you? Well, you weren’t.

He laughed but shook his head, moving the covers to get in after turning out the light. You joined, keeping as much distance from him as possible. He seemed to notice.

“I’m not gonna bite or anything. You don’t have to fall off the bed or anything. Or am I just that revolting to you?” He said jokingly, but it didn’t sound like he put much effort into it. You rolled over to face him.

“I don’t think you're revolting. I just don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“Would you be uncomfortable?” He asked. You thought for a moment but shook your head. “Alright then. Neither would I.” He said, gesturing for you to come closer.

You finally relented, scooting closer, but only by a few inches. He didn’t seem like he was going to say anything else on the matter.

But he wasn’t done talking.

“I know this isn’t ideal for you but it’s just for a night.” He said. You were confused at this.

“I mean, yeah, this wasn’t what I had in mind for tonight. But I wouldn’t say it’s not ideal.”

“You practically hate me. I get it, don’t get me wrong, but I figured you’d object more to this.” He said.

“I don’t hate you. I’m actually really proud to see you aren’t a prick anymore. But you were rude to me and I can’t help but be a little suspicious about the whole thing.” You said frankly. He sighed. “I know. And I’m sorry. There was no reason for it except that it made me feel a bit better. Only for a second and then I’d feel like complete shit again. But I never intend on doing that again. I’m trying to be better.”

“I can tell. I’m glad you’re trying. I’d say it’s a success.” You said with a small smile.

“I’m happy you think so.” He smiled back. You laid like that for a moment until something hit you.

“So is this ideal for you?” You questioned. He seemed to not hear at first and you were about to ask again until he finally spoke.

“What? I mean, it could be worse. I don’t mind who’s with me.” He said with a shrug. “Just thought the first time we’d share a bed would be under other circumstances.” Your eyes widened but he shook his head. “Shit sorry. Force of habit.” He quickly said.

You stayed silent for a moment and he scooted away, adding more space between the two of you. You spoke up suddenly, heartbeat running wild.

“Have you thought about that?” You asked, looking anywhere but him.

“Yeah, but I’ve thought about it with pretty much everyone. Except Ted.” He said and you laughed, though you were a bit disappointed at that.

“Wouldn’t expect anything less.” You tried to keep the disappointment out of your voice. But he seemed to catch it anyway.

“I keep coming back to you though.” He said and you met his eyes.

“Why is that?”

“Because I think you’re amazing. And funny. ...And fit.” He admitted. You laughed at the last bit. But it did make your face heat up. You hoped he didn’t notice in the darkness of the room.

“High praise. Thanks.” You said. “But I think you’re amazing too. You’re strong, not just physically, but mentally too.” You said. “And you’re not bad looking either.”

You could see his smile in the darkness, brighter than before.

“Can I kiss you?” He asked. You nodded, moving closer.

He cupped your face and kissed you. It was passionate, laced with words unspoken. Feelings just now realized. It was breathtaking.

You both pulled back after a few moments, but neither of you moved too far away from each other.

“I really like you. After the game can I take you on a proper date?” He asked.

“I’d love that.” You said.

You hadn’t actually gotten the chance to see Roy Kent in person before. Of course you’d heard stories from Ted but he’d never been around when you’d visit. You were kind of thankful for it. You had a bit of a crush on him. Nothing serious of course. You loved Ted and you wouldn’t do anything to hurt him. It was just a dumb celebrity crush.

Of course Ted didn’t know that. So when he invited you to a team event he didn’t know what he was getting into.

You were sitting at a table with the coaches. All of the coaches. And Rebecca and Keeley who were very excited to see you. You were excited to see them too. You quite liked them.

What you weren’t excited about was seeing Roy Kent. You knew you’d fuck up somehow. You’d make it obvious and then things would be awkward.

You were escorted to the table by Ted and he introduced you.

“I think Roy is the only one you haven’t met properly. Roy, this is Y/N.” He said. Roy offered his hand and you accepted giving it a firm shake.

“Roy Kent.” He said simply.

“Oh I know. Y/N.” You said. You had actually gotten words out. A success in your book.

Throughout dinner you couldn’t help but stare at him. He was an attractive guy, even more attractive up close. Of course you didn’t do it all the time. You were engaged whenever Ted spoke, contributing to conversation a bit. But you were just stunned to be meeting Roy Kent.

Ted seemed to notice. The other people at the table went around to mingle a bit and you were left with Ted. He leaned over to you.

“Someone has a little crush.” He said. You furrowed your brows, confused at this but also a little on edge.

“What do you mean?” You asked.

“Look I get it, Roy Kent is a handsome guy.” He said. You could feel yourself go red as your eyes widened.

“Oh god, Ted, it’s so dumb. I just… you know what it doesn’t matter. It’s stupid.” You sputtered out. He just laughed.

“Aww, it ain’t dumb.” He said.

“I just had a bit of a celebrity crush on him when I was younger.” You confessed.

“That’s adorable.” He said with a smile.

“It’s embarrassing.” You said, covering your face. You looked up though with a gasp. “Of course I don’t still like him. I mean he seems…. pleasant sort of but I’d never-”

He put up a hand to stop you. “Oh, no, I ain’t worried about that.” He said with a laugh.

“Okay good.” You replied. “But I’m still embarrassed. Please don’t mention it to him.” You said.

“Of course I won’t. I’ll just laugh quietly when he comes back over.” He said. You glared at him. “Only joking.”

The two of you went back to small talk, keeping it light, but you were still a little embarrassed. You weren’t sure if your face had returned to its natural state or not.

And when Roy came back to the table with Keeley it just made things worse. You could barely look at him, let alone speak. Ted noticed, frowning a bit. He really had to encourage you to calm down somehow.

“Hey, Roy, did you ever read A Wrinkle In Time?” Ted asked.

“Oh I love that book.” You said.

“No.” He said simply.

“That’s a lie. He read it to Phoebe.” Keeley interjected. Ted smiled and Roy just rolled his eyes.

“Yeah so what? It’s a good book.” He shrugged. You perked up a bit.

“Well I’m glad ya liked it.” Ted said.

“It reminds me of books I read in school.” You commented. “Did you ever read The Hobbit?” You asked Roy.

“Yes, I did. The story was good.” He said.

After that point conversation flowed relatively easily. Ted noticed and smiled to himself, glad he was able to make things comfortable for you.

Ted offered to walk you back to your place. You gladly accepted, linking arms as you walked.

“So, was Roy everything you imagined?” He joked. You rolled your eyes.

“He was nice. But again, I have you and that’s all I need.”

“I know, I know.” He said. His voice became gruffer, akin to his Led Tasso persona. “Though if you need a reminder of who you’re dating I can surely give you one.” He said and you looked over at him, eyebrows raised.

“Oh really now?” You questioned.

“Only if you want of course.” He said, sounding a lot more like Ted.

“I just might take you up on that offer.” You said with a laugh.

You had been seeing Ted for a month now. It was actually your one month anniversary. You knew some people didn’t really celebrate it, but you were sentimental and figured giving him something small would be nice.

So you got him tickets to Mamma Mia. You knew he liked musicals but you weren’t sure if he liked this one. He hadn’t talked about it before but it was one that was playing on the West End and you liked it. You just hoped he did too. Otherwise it’d look like a pretty selfish gift.

You surprised him at work, going in when you knew he’d be in his office. When you walked in Coach Beard promptly made an exit, though you didn’t know why. You just figured he didn’t like seeing all the mushy stuff that you guys got up to when you were together.

Ted looked up and smiled at you. “Hey sugar.” He greeted.

“Hey! I was wondering if you wanted to get lunch?” You asked.

“Of course. But first, I have something for you.” He said, opening a cabinet under his desk. “I know not everyone celebrates a one month anniversary but I just wanted to do something nice for you. You’re the first serious partner I’ve had since my divorce and I just want to make everything special with you.” He said, standing up with a wrapped square of something in his hand. It was too big to be a ring or anything, much to your relief. You liked Ted, hell you even loved him at this point, but it was way too early for marriage.

He handed over the gift and you took it. He bit his knuckle, anticipating your reaction as you unwrapped it, tearing into it not so delicately.

It was one big book of all of Jane Austen’s writing. You were shocked.

“You mentioned liking her books. I saw it in a bookstore and figured you’d like it. Now you have all of them in one place.” He explained.

“Oh Ted, it’s so thoughtful. I love it. Thank you.” You said, looking at him with pure love in your eyes.

“I’m glad to hear it.” He smiled back.

You flipped through it quickly before setting it down.

“I got you something too.” You said, reaching into your back pocket. You handed over the tickets.

He looked at them before he broke out into an even bigger smile.

“Mamma Mia? I love that musical!” He said. “I can’t wait to go. Thank you.” He added.

“Phew, I didn’t know if you liked that musical or not. I’m happy you do.” You said, honestly feeling a bit relieved.

“How could you not like Mamma Mia?” He said. You smiled and kissed him.

You put your gifts in the proper places and headed out to lunch.

“How’s practice going?” You asked.

“Good. Roy has really helped out. Taught me a lot I didn’t know.” He said.

“That’s good. I’m glad.” You said.

“How about you?” How’ve you been?” He asked.

“Good. Working at a library can be quite stressful sometimes but it’s a fun kind of stress.” You explained.

“Sounds like it would be.” He agreed.

“Do you see yourself coaching forever?” You asked suddenly. He looked a bit surprised but didn’t skip a beat.

“Honestly? Yeah. I love it. Helping those guys not only be better players but better people is fulfilling to me.” He explained. It was nice to see him get passionate about his job.

“I’m sure you help those guys out a lot. And I’m sure they really appreciate it.” You commented.

“I really hope so.” He said.

After lunch you went back to his office. Beard didn’t leave this time much to your surprise. Even when you and Ted kissed goodbye he just kept his head down but didn’t leave. He was a weird guy but nice.

You went back to work and afterwards you invited Ted over to your place. You didn’t want to end the celebrations just yet and he felt the same.