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Roy had been enjoying a rare afternoon of solitude. No Phoebe, no work. Just him, his tv and the Sheffield Wednesday V Brighton match.
Lightning flashed outside as rain pelted down on the windows and he grinned into his cup of tea thinking about how the storm had rolled in right after Richmond had won their own match the day before.
His peace was interrupted by a sudden urgent knocking at his door.
He pushed himself up from the sofa with a soft groan, frowning as the knocking continued loudly.
‘Okay, okay. I’m coming. Fucking hell’ Roy swore as he flung open his front door.
‘What the-’ He trailed off in surprise at seeing a soaking wet and bleeding Jamie Tartt standing on his front step.
‘I’m sorry. I didn’t know where else to go.’ Jamie sniffled, wiping at his bloody nose with the back of his hand. ‘I’m sorry. I don’t know why…I shouldn’t have come. I’m sorry.’ He shook as he rambled without taking a breath.
‘I should…I should go. I’ll just go.’ His face grew red and he moved as if to turn away.
‘Oi!’ Roy yelled reaching out to grab Jamie’s arm and gently tug with into the house, shutting the door firmly behind him.
‘What the fuck happened?’ He asked eyes raking up and down. Taking in the shiner blooming along Jamie’s cheek bone, and the still slowly running bloody nose.
Not to mention the man was dressed only in shorts and a hoodie, and soaked to the bone.
Roy felt an uncomfortable twist in his chest as he took in Jamie dripping in his entry way, his damp hair hung over his eyes, which were wide and watery. He had the sleeves of his hoodie pulled tightly over his hands and he kept bringing the scrunched-up material to up to his face dabbing at his bleeding nose.
He looked like a damn kid.
‘Christ.’ Roy cursed beneath his breath.
‘I’m sorry Roy.’ Jamie muttered hanging his head, sounding embarrassed and contrite as the blush on his face grew darker
The quiver in the younger man’s voice broke Roy out of his shock.
‘Don’t be sorry you Muppet.’ He growled reaching out to wrap his hand around one of Jamie’s covered wrists pulling him gently down the hall and into the kitchen.
Softly pushing him to sit at a stool at the kitchen bench. ‘Stay.’ He murmured softly, as if Jamie were going anywhere.
He hurried down the hall to the airing cupboard and grabbed a towel, hesitating for a moment before grabbing a second one, tucking them both under one arm and hurrying back to Jamie in the kitchen, who to his relief, hadn’t moved.
‘Here.’ Roy threw the towels on the counter in front of Jamie.
It seemed to break Jamie out of a deep thought because he just looked at the towels for a long moment before looking back up at Roy blankly. ‘Eh?’ He questioned quietly.
‘Oh for goodness sake…’ Roy huffed under his breath, though he heard the worry in his own voice as he moved to stand in front of Jamie reaching out with slow and purposeful movements to grip the bottom of Jamie’s wet hoodie.
‘Arms up.’ He commanded his voice firm but not unkind.
‘What?’ Jamie looked up at him, eyes glazed, looking confused.
‘Jamie’ Roy sighed trying to sound patient. ‘You’re soaking wet and dripping onto my hardwood floor.’
Jamie looked down in surprise at the small puddle of water that had grown beneath where he was sitting. ‘Oh.’ He said dumbly. ‘I’m sorry. I’ll clean it up.’
‘I’m not worried about that you fucking idiot. I don’t want you catching pneumonia.’
Jamie’s eye widened in surprise but he didn’t say anything instead he slowly lifted his arms up and let Roy gently work the wet hoodie off his hunched shoulders.
Jamie was unable to hide a wince as his ribs stretched with the movement and Roy swore loudly at the bruises marring Jamie’s side as he tossed the hoodie onto the counter and grabbed up one of the towels, wrapping his gently around Jamie’s shoulders.
‘Jamie.’ He began, his voice guff but soft in a way that made Jamie want to curl up in a ball and cry.
‘Please.’ Jamie whispered, his eyes falling shut as Roy wrapped the towel around him and began to gently rub his back through the thick lush material. ‘Please, please mate…can we not? Not right now. Please Roy.’
Roy sighed he hated to back down but there was something in the way Jamie’s voice wavered, the way his eyes watered as he glanced up at Roy with trust. It was the raw vulnerability in Jamie’s eyes that made his choice for him, that pleading look was something that Roy couldn’t bring himself to argue with.
Instead, he just wrapped the towel tighter around Jamie’s trembling shoulders before turning to pick up the second towel from the counter and bringing it up to rub at Jamie’s wet hair gently.
He was waiting for some response from Jamie about messing with his precious hair. His worry only increasing when Jamie not only didn’t yell at him for messing with his hair, but lent heavily into Roy’s gentle hands, with a soft sigh.
‘Jamie?’ He murmured, concerned.
‘I’m okay.’ Jamie murmured sleepily. ‘Just…tired.’
It was a blatant lie and they both knew it.
Roy grunted, but continued to rub and steady hand up and down Jamie’s back. The both of them pretending to not notice the tremors still shaking through the younger man.
‘Come on.’ Roy sighed after a while, stepping back from Jamie’s side and gesturing for him to stand up.
‘Oh.’ Jamie’s face fell and he let his head drop, hair falling to hide his eyes. ‘Oh yeah right. I should…I should get out of your hair.’
‘No.’ Roy growled. ‘Tartt the only place your going is upstairs to shower and put some dry clothes on.’
Jamie’s mouth fell open as he looked up at Roy, his eyes shining again. ‘Oh.’ He said softly.
Roy sighed but it wasn’t his usual sick-of-this-bullshit sigh. It was softer, almost…fond.
The sound of it seemed to flow through Jamie’s body, filling him with a warm tingly sensation.
‘Come on.’ Roy held out a hand and Jamie reached out to grasp the warm hand in his own, letting Roy gently pull him to his feet and led him up the stairs, not releasing his hand until the reached the master bathroom, and Roy had to let go of Jamie’s hand to open the shower door and turn the water on.
‘I’m gonna grab you some clothes to change into while you shower, but I’m going to leave the door open, okay? Just…yell if you need me.’ He hesitated, his gaze lingering on Jamie for a long moment before he turned away with a small shake of his head muttering to himself.
Jamie stepped into the shower, letting the hot water wash over him, warming him up and washing away the crusty blood from his face.
He jerked a little in surprise when Roy knocked softly on the open door to get Jamie’s attention. ‘Just leaving you some clothes.’ He grunted, nodding at Jamie through the foggy shower screen before retreating back out the door.
Jamie let his gaze linger on the open doorway, his mind whirling. He shook his head lightly, wincing when the movement caused a bolt of pain to shoot through his skull.
Right. He thought Took a fist to the face an hour ago, best not shake my fucking head around. You fucking Idiot Tartt.
He turned the shower off, quickly towelling off and picking up the clothes Roy had left for him.
He slipped the pants and the trackpants on quickly, his hands lingered over the shirt Roy had left for him before finally pulling it over his head, his heart fluttering at the sight of himself in the mirror in faded Chelsea blue. back.
He didn’t have time to think about how dizzying the idea of Roy’s name printed across his back made him because the next moment Roy was walking back into the bathroom.
‘Come on.’ He ordered lightly, gesturing Jamie out of the room.
Jamie followed obediently trailing so closely behind Roy that he bumped into him when they stopped abruptly five feet outside the bathroom.
‘Go on.’ Roy gestured at the large bed in front of him, quilt turned down invitingly. ‘Climb in.’
Reality finally broke through Jamie’s exhausted mind fog and the notion of Roy inviting Jamie into his bed.
‘Wait what?’ He turned to look at Roy eyes scrunched up in confusion. ‘Am I dead?’ He asked his voice raising in pitch. ‘Did I die and this is all some weird afterlife-y acid trip hallucination type thing?’
He half expected Roy to shove him in the chest. To tell him to shut up. To stop being an idiot.
He didn’t expect a large grin to stretch over Roy’s face, or the deep chuckle that followed.
‘Are you saying my bed is your idea of heaven?’ He teased.
‘No.’ Jamie felt his cheeks grow hot. ‘No, that’s not what I were saying. I just. Its…I…You…’ He looked back and forth from Roy to the turned down bed and back again.
‘I’m confused.’ He huffed crossing his arms across his chest, which only made Roy smirk at him harder. Although Jamie noticed there was an undeniable fondness in his eyes.
‘You’re concussed.’ Roy said softly, his smirk giving way to gentle smile. ‘You’re exhausted. You’re going to have a nap, and in a few hours I’m gonna to wake you up, you’re going to have some dinner, and then you’re going straight back to bed. The rest…the rest we can talk about tomorrow.’
Jamie wanted to argue.
He wanted to tell Roy to fuck off. That he wasn’t a child.
But that actually sounded very very good, and as Jamie’s eyes lingered on the bed, he realised how bone achingly tired he really was, but there was one thing he needed to know.
‘But…’ He swallowed, suddenly nervous. ‘But there is something to talk about…tomorrow?’
Roy rolled his eyes, but it was in a way that was becoming familiar to Jamie. It wasn’t exasperated or annoyed, it was fond.
‘Fucking Yes.’
‘Oh.’ There was that warm blush crawling up his neck again. ‘Oh.’
‘Come on Tartt.’ Roy took his arm, leading him over to the bed, helping him down and pulling the covers up over him lightly.
‘Are you…’ Jamie’s brow crinkled again. ‘Are you tucking me in?’
‘No.’ Roy said still tucking the blanket around him gently. ‘You’re hallucinating.’
‘That makes sense.’ Jamie yawned burrowing down into the warmth of the blankets contently.
Roy moved and Jamie’s hand shot out from the quilt grabbing at his wrist. ‘Stay.’ He pleaded, wincing at how desperate he sounded, weak, soft.
His Dad’s voice echoed through his head. Taunting words, rough hands, shoving him, a raised fist….
‘Shhh.’ Roy gently moved Jamie over slightly, before settling on the bed next to him, stretching his legs out over the covers in front of him. ‘I’m not going anywhere. You’re okay. You’re safe, and I’m not going anywhere.’
‘Yeah?’ Jamie whispered, looking up at Roy, his eyes heavy with exhaustion.
‘Yeah.’ Roy said simply, flicking the lamp on the bedside table on before picking up the book beside it.
Jamie knew he couldn’t fight the exhaustion much longer, Roy’s firm warmth beside him was only lulling him further into his impending slumber, but before he let his eyes finally fall shut there was one more thing he needed to say.
‘Roy?’ He spoke softly.
‘Hmm?’
‘…Thank you…’
‘Go to sleep Jamie.’
Jamie finally let his eyes fall shut just as Roy cracked his book open with one hand, the other lifting to Jamie’s head, gently stroking his hair back, letting his nails drag across Jamie’s scalp in a way that made Jamie melt into Roy’s side.
They could talk about it tomorrow.
Right now, he knew all he needed to know.
He was safe.
And Roy wasn’t going anywhere.
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