Archive of Our Own

Roy got the email five minutes before Jamie showed up at his house.

Keeley had sent out a warning and four press release drafts for approval, but Roy could barely read them through the fury clouding his vision, fingers gripped white around his phone as he bit back the overwhelming urge to throw it. The interview would drop the next day and there was nothing they could fucking do about it.

He’d barely managed to get his breathing back under control when there was a knock at his front door.

Roy still launched his phone at the couch, wincing when it bounced off and landed on the floor, before he, essentially, stomped over to yank the door open.

His anger sparked and dulled in the two seconds it took to register that Jamie was the one standing behind it, looking fucking small and scared, eyes downcast but not low enough to hide how puffy and red they were.

During those same two seconds, Jamie had already started fidgeting, fingers tugging at his sleeves as he glanced behind him like he was worried about- jesus. Roy couldn’t trust his voice just yet so he grunted and stepped aside to let Jamie in.

“Sorry for showing up here, I just didn’t want to go back to mine in case- um, and I guess we’re best friends now? So I figured- fuck, I-”

“Stay.” Roy squeezed Jamie’s shoulder and used it to guide him towards the kitchen. “Sit.”

Jamie gingerly climbed onto one of the barstools and crossed his arms in front of him, still refusing to look up, which Roy was kind of grateful for because he wasn’t certain his face would be reassuring for shit in that particular moment.

They stayed quiet while Roy made them some tea. He’d briefly considered just bringing out the hard alcohol before thinking better of it. If he was a mess then he couldn’t even imagine what Jamie must be feeling.

That, and Roy was pretty sure Jamie only ever actually drank booze when he thought he couldn’t get away with avoiding it, hiding as much of the taste as possible with sugary bullshit. Like vanilla. Or cotton candy on one horrifically memorable occasion. The locker room still smelled like it sometimes.

Jamie accepted the mug, probably glad for the excuse to keep looking down. It was honestly kind of pathetic but Roy couldn’t even blame him for it.

Roy leaned against the counter and sighed, trying to let some of his residual rage out with a long exhale. It seemed to put Jamie even more on edge so Roy did the rest of his breathing exercises in silence.

“It’s fucked up,” Roy started, unabashedly relieved when it made Jamie snort. “Neither of us are going to like this, but I’m just going to say it: I’m so fucking sorry for what you’re about to go through. Hell, I’m fucking sorry for everything that man has ever done in general. But this... Jesus, Jamie, I fucking hate that you have to deal with this.”

Jamie’s face finally lifted up from his tea to stare at Roy, mouth open in surprise before it morphed into his usual - albeit somewhat shaky - teasing grin.

“Am I dreaming or did the great Roy Kent just express some compassion?”

Roy allowed himself a moment to roll his eyes before he put his mug down. “This isn’t a dream, it’s about to be a fucking nightmare.”

He regretted it, just a little, when that made Jamie’s smile drop along with his head to stare down at the counter again.

“Yeah, this is not how I wanted to spend the off-season.”

“I don’t think anyone would wish for their piece of shit father to out them to the press.”

Jamie flinched, a small jerky movement backwards that made Roy worry for his mug. He focused on that instead of the rest of the worry he was feeling.

“Sorry. I’m not known for being tactful,” Roy gritted out, body tense with a now disgustingly familiar need to fix the situation. Fucking Ted Lasso.

“You can be when you want to be.”

Roy blinked, grimacing as he lowered himself onto his elbows to try and meet Jamie’s eyes. He didn’t give up until Jamie did.

“You’re right, and now needs to be one of those times. You deserve better.”

Jamie wrinkled his nose. “Fuck off, I didn’t come to you for comfort.”

“Tough shit. You need a friend right now and if I’m part of that support system then fuck you if you think I’m not gonna do it right.”

“Stop being so weird,” Jamie mumbled but he wasn’t as wound up anymore, shoulders not quite as high, fingers less jittery as he finally took a sip.

“I’m being fucking supportive, you brat.”

Jamie smirked, just a bit, but it was enough to make something loosen in Roy’s sternum.

“This tastes like shit.”

Roy groaned and nudged the sugar bowl towards him even though they both knew that Roy had already made it just how he preferred it. Half a sugar cube during the season, one during breaks, two when he was upset. Roy had added three.

“I’m assuming Keeley’s contacted you already?” Roy was trying for casual but missed by a mile if Jamie’s pout was anything to go by. “I figured I was in the second batch of people in the know.”

Jamie squirmed for a second before going ramrod straight and nodding. “She called me. Then Rebecca did. Then Ted. I’m fucking sick of phone calls. Consider yourself lucky you only got an email or whatever.”

“My watch has been vibrating non-stop with calls since you got here, they’re trying that shit with me, too.”

“Why aren’t you picking up?”

Roy knew what Jamie was angling for and damn him if he didn’t want to give in. “Because you’re more important right now. Their media strategies can fucking wait.”

Jamie’s nose wrinkled again, mouthing ‘ew’ before he tried to hide his tiny smile.

“I didn’t come here to be coddled, you dusty git.”

“Why did you come to me, then?” Roy asked, ignoring the argumentative part of him that absolutely did want to coddle the little prick.

“Figured the press would be least likely to camp outside yours, yeah?”

“The story isn’t out yet. Won’t be until tomorrow morning.”

Jamie started fidgeting with his sleeves again, pulling them over his fingers. It would almost look adorable if it wasn’t so fucking sad.

“Getting a head start on keeping myself safe.” Jamie said it jokingly but Roy saw him freeze when he registered how it sounded.

“You are. Safe here.” Roy ground his teeth to steal himself. “You can stay here for as long as you like. However long it takes for this to blow over, you’re safe here. You’re even fucking welcome here.”

Jamie seemed so taken aback he didn’t even think to mock Roy and fuck if that wasn’t worrying.

“Can’t promise I can keep the Jamie-protection-brigade away for much longer, though. There’s no way Ted and co aren’t going feral trying to find you so they can hug you to smithereens.”

Jamie’s small smile was back, a sweet private thing he tried to cover up by taking another sip. “Maybe that’s the real reason I’m here. Needed to delay the gooey shite, didn’t I?”

Roy grunted, raising his mug like he was saying ‘you’re welcome’ even if he kind of did want to hug Jamie. This really was fucked and even Roy could admit that he would have wanted someone to hold him through the worst of it.

“If you did want-”

“Fuck no!”

“You don’t even know what I was about to say!”

Jamie snorted, making a face which Roy was pretty sure was just to make him laugh. It fucking worked.

“You were about to offer to hug me or some shit.”

“I don’t fucking know! It’s helped before, hasn’t it?”

Jamie closed off again, smile faltering, and his inability to hide what he was feeling was as troubling as anything else. Roy hated it. Jamie was terrible at keeping things under wraps on his best days but this was downright pitiful.

“Jesus christ,” Roy grumbled, walking around the counter and stopping in front of Jamie where he’d gone stiff. “It’s just a hug, asshole. We all need one sometimes.”

Jamie looked up at him, eyebrows raising judgmentally, but he didn’t look as fucking vulnerable anymore so Roy counted it as a win.

Roy lifted up his arms and kind of wiggled them impatiently just to amuse Jamie some more.

“Ugh, fine, since you’re so desperate.”

Words aside, Jamie didn’t hug Roy like a man put out, he hugged him like he had just needed the excuse, like he was grateful for all of Roy’s posturing. Jamie tucked his face against Roy’s throat before going to move it away until Roy brought his hand up to keep him there, remembering how Jamie had done that at Wembley. And every hug since.

“You’ve got an entire football team’s worth of people on your side ready to kill for you and then some,” Roy found himself whispering, tightening his arms around Jamie, feeling it when Jamie sucked in a shaky breath. “I’m included in that, yeah? We’re following your lead on this.”

“I don’t want to-” Jamie paused, swallowing loudly in Roy’s ear. “I don’t want to come out. Not, um, not like this.”

Roy frowned before squeezing the back of Jamie’s neck when he seemed to tense up at his confession, probably worried about Roy’s reaction.

“No one’s going to make you do that.”

Jamie scoffed but at least he wasn’t trying to pull away anymore. “My dad’s not giving me much of a choice here, is he?”

“His word doesn’t mean shit. We can spin this however you want.”

“I don’t know, telling a reporter for the Sun that his son’s always been a bit of a poofter seems pretty fucking final to me.”

Roy’s eye twitched, remembering the other words James Tartt Sr had used in his bastardized pisstake of an interview.

He found himself reluctant to let Jamie go, but he allowed Jamie to step away.

Jamie sat back down, swiping his wrist under his nose, which, gross. Roy went to throw some kitchen roll at him before deciding to slide it over to him like a decent fucking human being instead. He knew Jamie hated it when people treated him carefully, but Roy had seen Jamie flinch at sudden movements one too many times. It made his heart twinge every time. Also gross. Also Ted’s fault, probably.

“Your shitstain father doesn’t get to take this from you. You know Keeley and Rebecca can make this a nothing story, discredit him to his grave. Which will hopefully be an early one.”

Jamie shrugged, looking small again. Roy gently pushed at his shoulder. He left his hand there.

“I don’t want to be... out. Scares the piss out of me.”

Roy hummed, running his palm down Jamie’s back as he sat down next to him. Hearing any kind of brutal sincerity out of Jamie was always a mindfuck but this was honestly so much harder to bear. Because it shouldn’t have been fucking needed.

“You don’t deserve any of this. Especially against your will like that. It’s fucking evil, is what it is.”

Jamie let out a dry laugh, reaching for his mug again without actually doing anything with it, like he just needed something to do with his hands so he wouldn’t mess with his stretched out sleeves anymore.

“You wanna know the shittiest part? I fucking told him about... me. I gave him the ammo when he was sober last year.” The laugh came out again, a broken bitter sound. “I’m such a fucking idiot.”

Something sour twisted in Roy’s stomach. “Jamie, you cannot fucking blame yourse-”

“Don’t, okay? I just need to feel sorry for myself a little, yeah? He already knew anyway, figured it out when I was a wee lad, didn’t he? I just confirmed it for him. And now everyone will know.”

“Don’t call me old for this because it’s too easy of a joke to make,” Roy started, knocking sideways into Jamie, clumsy in his attempt to briefly relieve Jamie of the heaviness pulling at the corners of his mouth, “but I’ve been in the football world for long enough to have had the coming out conversation hundreds of times, with a lot of different players. None of us wanted to be the first.”

Jamie turned his head towards him without actually looking up. Roy was surprised by how much he wanted to say more.

“One of the reasons I joined Richmond in the first place was to get away from my own close calls. A couple buried stories here and there. An ex with a vendetta.”

“I thought it was just because you were too old for the higher leagues.”

Roy snorted and gave him the finger, relieved to hear Jamie laugh.

“Thank you, uh- thanks, for telling me that. Didn’t know you also played for the other team. Or multiple teams.” Roy didn’t have to look at him to know that he was grinning.

“Just figured you deserved to know that you’re not all the way alone with this shit. Don’t make me regret it.”

“I’m not gonna out you, too, you know. Enough of that going around, even if you do think I’m also a prick deep down to my core.”

Roy went still, his own forgotten words resonating in his head, selfishly unaware of their impact.

“Don’t you fucking dare think for a second that you’re anything like your father. You can be a bit of a dick sometimes, sure, but you’ve worked damn hard to change and don’t think we - I - haven’t noticed. And even then, you were never, ever, as bad as that trash excuse of a man.”

“Geez, someone’s feeling emotional.”

Roy grumbled and tugged at the back of Jamie’s shirt to turn him towards him.

“No, I’m being fucking honest. You were an asshole but what he is is fucking cruel. You’re nothing like him. You hear me?”

“Yeah, yeah, fine. I hear you.”

Roy wasn’t convinced for shit, but he figured it was about time he gave them a break.

“Right, come on, time to watch some mindless television with no emotional weight whatsoever.”

Jamie blinked up at him, mouth opening before he allowed Roy to drag him towards the living room, grip loose enough that Jamie could shrug him off if he wanted to.

“Does Roy Kent watch trashy reality shows? Or are we going for a-”

“Don’t push your luck. You can pick what we watch but I get to veto it.”

Roy couldn’t help but smile at Jamie’s pleased little grin as he dropped down on the couch, all limbs and taking up as much space as humanly possible.

Only Jamie didn’t do anything with the remote Roy nudged his way with his foot. He just kind of looked at it pensively.

“What would happen, if I did confirm the shit my dad said? If I just accepted my role as a bisexual icon?”

“You’re braver than I could ever be,” Roy allowed himself to admit, gratified by Jamie’s ineffectively soft smirk. “A media shitstorm, probably. I’m not going to lie to you, it would be fucking brutal, for a while at least.”

Roy saw Jamie swallow, fingers twitchy around the remote.

“But it could, like, help, right? Other players who are in the closet?”

Roy took a second to sort out his response, his own feelings about the matter clashing with what was needed from him. “That’s a lot of fucking pressure to put on yourself for the sake of altruism. It’d be a hell of a move, but you know all of Richmond would be behind you if you decided to do that. Fuck that, we would all stand right by your side. Or in front of you if shit got bad.”

Jamie nodded, seemingly to himself.

“Are you gonna call in the troops, then?”

“I was gonna wait until we got through at least one episode of Strictly, but yeah, if you’re ready.”

“As I’ll ever be.”

“Jesus, it’s fucking Keeley and Lasso, don’t look so resigned.” Roy waited until that got him a laugh before continuing. “You want me to invite them ‘round?”

Jamie looked over at him, jaw clenched and eyes a bit too wide, a bit too shiny. But he nodded again, so Roy picked his phone up from the floor. No cracks, at least.

One and a half episodes of Strictly Come Dancing later, the doorbell rang. Jamie tensed up next to Roy, head dropping forward when Roy essentially petted the back of his neck before letting the whirlwind of their caring friends in. His living room was a PR warzone within minutes.

An hour after that, Jamie quietly asked Ted to tell and invite over the rest of the team. Ted looked so proud it made everyone else in the room uncomfortable at the blatant display of emotion.

Issac brought a comically large whiteboard to write down the pros and cons of every suggested strategy, Jan brought an array of sugary colorful booze, Colin brought a pinata for some reason. Dani brought a bunch of rainbow shit he’d seemingly already had lying around. He and Sam also sat themselves down in Jamie’s lap and hugged him for as long as it took to get Jamie laughing.

It still took a while for Jamie to really relax, his worry about everyone’s reaction so palpable Roy could feel it from his place on the other end of the couch. Roy couldn’t begrudge him that, his own heart pounding with every casual showing of support and lack of judgment all the lads showered Jamie with, the same way they had with Colin.

When Jamie asked Keeley and Rebecca how it would work if he did come out, voice shaky but determined, the room barely stayed silent for a second before everyone was cheering.

Roy put his bright blue pear cider down and cleared his throat, tensing when everyone turned to him.

“I might have an idea,” he started, accepting Keeley’s hand in his like she somehow already knew what he was about to say. “It wouldn’t be fair for Tartt to shoulder all of this shit on his own, so, if you’re okay with this, Jamie, what if we contacted every team we knew and organized... I don’t know, a mass fucking coming out for anyone who was willing to help spread out the backlash. Myself included.”

Immediately, everything got loud again as names started getting thrown around. It was a fucking mess, but goddamn if it didn’t make Roy want to cry a little bit, especially when Jamie grinned at him and gave his wrist a squeeze.

Rebecca and Keeley disappeared to make some phone calls and a plan truly started taking place.

A list of managers and teams to contact was drafted, never actually including the names of closeted players, just giving people the option to add themselves to the roster.

Within a couple hours, they had a list that was far longer than Roy could have ever imagined, especially on such short notice. At some point during that time, Roy had scooted himself closer to Jamie, there to welcome him as he tilted to the side to hide against his shoulder for a moment, clearly as overwhelmed as Roy felt.

By that evening, with all of their pulled resources, their list had gotten exponentially larger and more international, amassing a total of 31 names.

Once everyone had read the press release Keeley had written up, the entire room held their breath as it was sent off to every major news outlet they had access to, a coordinated bombardment from every angle across every country involved.

It was out there before the Sun could release James Tartt Sr’s interview, before anyone else could get ahold of the story and twist it.

They all turned their phones off and hunkered down to watch another episode of Strictly, followed by whatever 90s cartoon they could find.

While Keeley and Sam pseudo-argued over which fictional dog was the cutest, Jamie reached over to curl his pinkie around Roy’s. Roy just turned his hand so he could tangle their fingers together, refusing to look over at Jamie but hearing his pleased hum nonetheless.

Ted was almost vibrating with happiness at the fact that it was turning into a massive sleepover, repeatedly suggesting a pillow fight and still giggling when no one took him up on it. Roy felt more than heard Jamie start crying when Ted sat himself on his other side and kissed his forehead, whispering to him about how proud he was. Isaac had pushed Dani away so he could sit in front of Jamie, leaning back against his knees as they watched the TV and all fell asleep one at a time.

The morning wasn’t easy, the media frenzy was as terrifying as it was rewarding, leading to a new wave of names being added to the list. Jamie tucked his chin over Roy’s shoulder as they looked through the ridiculous amount of notifications on his phone. Somehow, during the night, his screen had cracked.

Rebecca had to deal with the worst of the kickback, losing and gaining sponsors by the dozen, fielding just as many demands for interviews and PR appearances. She still smiled down at Jamie as she told The Independent to piss off.

The press did end up swarming the front of Roy’s yard - evidently, with a story this big, even his reputation wasn’t enough to scare them off. The confusion and clamoring that happened when all of their friends filed out of the house late in the afternoon was very amusing, though.

Jamie stayed behind, looking drained from more than just a shitty night’s sleep on the couch but content with all the long hugs he got. Roy was less enthusiastic about them but he accepted the ones from those who dared all the same. He got his very own forehead kiss and abridged proud of you speech from Ted in the process.

Once they were left alone, Roy sent Jamie up to his guest room to get some more sleep, dismissing his half-arsed offer to help clean up what Colin and Dani hadn’t gotten to.

The media circus didn’t die down. Jamie stayed at Roy’s the entire time.

It took a couple days before Jamie stopped semi-jokingly asking if he had to get out of Roy’s ‘lucius but mistreated’ hair, only finally believing him when Roy had Isaac bring by a bag of Jamie’s stuff. Jamie did use the acquired sweet-smelling shower products but he only ever wore clothes he stole from deeper and deeper inside Roy’s closet.

Roy valiantly ignored what seeing Jamie in a ‘Kent’ shirt did to him, along with the rest of the shit he was noticing about this domestic Jamie who refused to stop doing too many chores like he was still worried Roy would kick him out for not being a useful enough asset.

On the third day, Roy got a box of his old kits out of storage, pretending not to see Jamie’s awed delight as he handed it over with a grunt. Roy could have sworn none of his shorts were ever that fucking short.

On the fourth day, Jamie cautiously curled up next to Roy on the couch, only relaxing when Roy put an arm around his shoulders that slipped to his waist when Jamie slouched down until his head was in Roy’s lap.

On the fifth day, Jamie - wearing a 2008 ‘Kent’ kit and Roy’s oldest pair of joggers - didn’t hesitate as he leaned against Roy any time he could throughout the day, almost never keeping to himself now that Roy had apparently given him blanket permission. One that Jamie took very seriously, and literally, that very night, slumping entirely across Roy as he ignored the movie he’d fucking picked in favor of taking weird pictures of Roy’s multiple chins from that angle. He was immune to Roy’s fake-grumpiness, and, more upsetting than that, Roy didn’t even bother pretending anymore, just made room for Jamie without even a sigh.

On the sixth day, James Tartt Sr showed up at the house, banging on the door and screaming absolute filth while Jamie froze in the kitchen where he was helping Roy cook them dinner.

Roy didn’t even hesitate as he pressed himself against Jamie’s back, wrapping himself around him.

“You say the word and I call the cops. I don’t trust them for shit, but they can get rid of the bastard.”

Jamie was trembling as he put his hand on top of Roy’s and leaned back against him.

“I don’t want to deal with him,” he whispered, sounding more vulnerable and scared than he had since he’d first arrived at Roy’s.

When Roy went to move away Jamie’s grip tightened around his wrist.

“Please don’t go out there, I don’t- I don’t know what he’s gonna do. Roy. Please don’t go.”

Roy pressed his forehead against the back of Jamie’s neck. “I’m not going anywhere. Can I use your phone, then? Mine’s in the living room.”

Jamie nodded, tension just barely dropping from his shoulders as he reached into his pocket and handed back his phone.

Staying against Jamie, Roy called the police, voice low as he spoke the words into Jamie’s- his own shirt, keeping his arm around him, squeezing every time Jamie went rigid at the vile shit his father was drunkenly yelling outside.

“They’re on their way.” Roy placed the phone face down on the counter before slowly reaching up to cover Jamie’s ears. It was for show more than anything since there was no way he couldn’t still hear the screaming, but it made Jamie rumble out a small laugh and relax a bit further against Roy.

Jamie turned around, hiding his face against Roy’s throat and curling his arms around his neck, dislodging Roy’s hands over his ears. Roy reached for his microwave over Jamie’s head instead, turning it on with nothing inside just to make noise. He went for the vent hood next, smiling when Jamie snorted.

“If I open the fridge it’ll start beeping obnoxiously within the minute.”

Jamie shook his head with another laugh. “You could have just put some music on.”

Roy stilled. “Fuck. I didn’t even think of that.” But when he went for Jamie’s phone again, Jamie just walked them away from the counter.

“Don’t need it.”

“What do you need?” Roy asked, just to make sure that the extended hug was in fact what Jamie wanted.

Jamie didn’t respond for a moment and Roy heard him clear his throat awkwardly. “This. This is nice. Thank you.”

Roy grunted and held him closer, fingers coming up to run through Jamie’s hair, letting out a slow exhale when Jamie relaxed a little more despite the slurs they could both still hear coming through the mail slot.

Thankfully, they heard cars pulling up next, followed by the sound of James Sr being dragged away, loud until he was probably shoved into the backseat of a patrol car.

Jamie went limp in Roy’s arms, nearly making him stumble backwards.

“I got you. You’re safe.”

Roy reluctantly had to let Jamie go to answer the door when the cops started knocking. He didn’t stop himself from kissing Jamie’s temple as he left the kitchen.

Jamie did end up having to give a statement, quietly confirming that he didn’t want to press charges but that he did want to put in a demand for a restraining order while Roy glared at all the reporters still loitering around his house, revitalized by this new scandal.

Roy wasn’t even surprised by how desperately he wanted to reach out to hold Jamie’s hand. He settled for pressing their shoulders together instead.

Jamie didn’t move away from the closed door after the cops left, he stood there and breathed in and out, a little too fast for Roy’s liking. By then, Roy knew how to recognize the signs of Jamie trying really hard not to break so he allowed him his moment before finally giving in and lacing their fingers together.

Eventually, Jamie looked down at their hands before meeting Roy’s eyes. He opened his mouth to say something but a sob came out instead. He tried to bite down on his bottom lip like that could take it back but Roy was already there, rushing forward to gather Jamie in his arms before he shattered.

“Why am I fucking crying over him?”

Roy shook his head, holding Jamie up when his knees almost gave out on him. Jamie hadn’t actually cried since he’d showed up and Roy felt at a loss for how to make it better. He’d heard sniffling coming from the guest room a couple times but he’d never dared call Jamie out on it, but this felt fucking important, being trusted with seeing Jamie fall apart, being trusted to help out with picking up the pieces.

Roy felt his own eyes sting as Jamie sobbed into his collar, hands clutching the back of his shirt.

“Sorry, ‘m sorry,” Jamie croaked out, voice devastatingly broken.

“You have nothing to apologize for. I’m here. You’re safe with me, I’m here.”

Jamie just apologized again, words blurring together like a mantra.

Roy pulled back just enough to frame his blotchy face between his palms, wiping tears away with his thumbs.

“Tell me what I can do.”

“Kiss me,” Jamie blurted out, a seemingly automatic response that took them both by surprise.

Jamie suddenly threw himself backwards, away from Roy to slam against the front door.

“Fuck, I’m sorry- shit.”

The panic in Jamie’s eyes tore painfully through Roy’s very fucking soul, just like seeing him scramble to reach for the doorknob before Roy gently grabbed his wrist.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, you don’t-” Roy stopped, letting go when Jamie cowered away from him like he thought he was about to get hit. “Jamie. It’s alright. Please- just stay, okay?”

Jamie had closed his eyes but he didn’t reach for the handle again.

“Can I touch you? Not- I just want to hug you again, okay?” Roy asked as softly as he could past the lump in his throat.

After a second Jamie nodded jerkily, inhaling roughly when Roy pulled him into his arms again.

“You’re good, yeah? We’re good.”

“I’m sorry,” Jamie breathed out, still shaking, but he’d stopped crying at least.

“It’s fine. I’m not fucking going anywhere.”

Jamie stepped away before Roy was ready but he let him go, making sure to keep a hand on his arm.

“I’m gonna- you sure it’s okay if I stay?”

Roy nodded before Jamie could finish the question. “Of course. Do you want to finish dinner?”

“I’m not, uh, really hungry. I just want to go to bed.”

Roy didn’t point out that it was barely 7pm, he just nodded again and squeezed Jamie’s elbow one last time before Jamie turned away from him.

Jamie stopped at the foot of the stairs, eyes downcast. “Can we just pretend that didn’t happen? Any of that.”

Roy bit down on the inside of his cheek, chest tight with what felt a lot like regret.

“Yeah, if that’s what you need- yeah, Jamie. I’m here if you need me, okay?”

Jamie glanced up at him, a shadow of his familiar smirk pulling at his lips. “You’re getting soft, old man.”

Roy smiled, not giving Jamie the satisfaction of seeing him roll his eyes. “Nothing wrong with soft, dickhead.”

Jamie did roll his eyes before walking up the stairs, pausing halfway up to turn towards Roy again. “Thanks, for uh- just thanks.”

“You don’t have to thank me. We’re fucking best friends now, remember?”

Jamie looked at him for a moment before giving Roy a salute and continuing up the stairs.

“I’ll leave you some leftovers in the fridge if you get hungry later,” Roy called after him, ignoring how unease was making his skin itch. He wanted to follow Jamie, to fucking comfort him. The feeling didn’t even bother him. Fuck.

Roy waited until he heard the guest bedroom door close before he made his way to the kitchen, simplifying the recipe they’d planned to finish it off with minimal effort. He couldn’t stomach actually eating anything.

Nothing on TV could distract him away from his thoughts with how fucking invasive they were.

He did want to fucking kiss Jamie. He especially wanted Jamie to actually want to kiss him back. Worse than all of that, and most importantly, he just wanted to make him smile again, fully willing to bury his own stupid feelings to match up with whatever was needed from him, as long as Jamie was happy. Fuck.

He lasted an hour before he headed upstairs.

“Jamie?” He asked outside the guest room, as gentle as he could make his voice.

“State your business.”

Roy smiled, head dropping down. “I have no fucking clue. I just wanted to check up on you. See if you need anything or whatever.”

Jamie stayed silent for a moment, just long enough for Roy to worry that he’d overstepped.

“Are you gonna ask to cuddle me to sleep or some shit?” A joke, but there was a genuine question in there.

“Honestly? Fucking yeah, actually, why not? Figure we could both benefit from that.”

Another moment of silence before a loud put-upon sigh. “Fine, but you gotta play with my hair.”

Roy snorted, giving a cursory knock before opening the door. Jamie was sitting up in bed with his arms crossed, eyes a bit wide as he watched Roy approach, watched him lift up the comforter and lay down. Watched Roy spread his arms as sarcastically as one could until Jamie groaned like he was annoyed and nudged closer, cuddling up to Roy like this wasn’t a totally weird thing they were doing.

“This is fucking weird,” Jamie said after a second, making Roy laugh while he petted through Jamie’s hair as requested, taking note of how quickly it had the rigidity in Jamie’s shoulders ebbing away despite his griping.

“Yeah, well, tough shit. It’s helping me.”

Jamie made a disbelieving sound. “Aren’t we trying to make me feel better, here?”

Roy shrugged as dramatically as possible to dislodge Jamie a bit, getting a limp slap to his pec for his troubles. “The world doesn’t revolve around you.”

“Lies. You can’t pretend with me anymore, I’m totally your favorite.”

Smiling, Roy pulled his hand away from Jamie’s hair, smile growing when Jamie grumbled and tilted his head back into his touch.

“Be nice to me, I have a shit dad.”

“You also have a whole bunch of people willing to do anything to protect you.”

“You including yourself in that?” Jamie asked, voice tellingly quiet.

“Fucking obviously, Jamie. You ain’t getting rid of me that easily. Richmond till we die, yeah?”

“You saying you’d die for me?”

Roy grunted, going back to running his fingers through Jamie’s hair, feeling ludicrously warm when it made Jamie fully relax against him.

“Go the fuck to sleep.”

“It’s fucking 8pm,” Jamie started with a scoff, already giving away what he was going to say next. “I know it’s your bedtime, bu-”

“You’re the one who said you were going to bed!”

“Yeah, because I wanted to mope, asshole!”

Roy chuckled, glad he could feel Jamie’s smile against his shoulder.

“You’re allowed some moping time but then we’re getting some food. I couldn’t fucking eat anything knowing you were up here all sad.”

Jamie huffed, digging his knee into Roy’s thigh and pinching his waist, presumably trying to annoy him but tickling him instead. Roy clenched his jaw and tried not to squirm away or make any stupid-ass noises, like giggling.

Unfortunately, Jamie caught on, gasping far too gleefully as he leaned back enough to stare at Roy’s face before his hands were pressing in to tickle away Roy’s resolve. Roy tried to wiggle out of his reach, dignity long lost as he hissed out a ridiculous laugh when Jamie’s fingers walked up his ribs, getting too close to Roy’s armpits.

As a last-ditch effort, Roy managed to get a hold of Jamie’s hands, pinning them to the bed at awkward angles as Jamie arched up to buck him off with a cackle. Roy tilted himself across Jamie, moving their arms until he had his wrists pressed against the pillow on either side of Jamie’s head, not missing the way Jamie’s exhale left him in a whoosh, laughter fading out with it.

Fuck. Roy was just straddling Jamie now that the playfulness was shot to hell.

Roy tried to scoot back, suddenly conscious that he was holding Jamie down in a way that he might not appreciate. Only Jamie’s fingers scrambled to grab onto Roy’s, leaving their hands there when he could have easily moved them away.

Roy wasn’t daft, he could see how dark Jamie’s eyes were, could hear how heavily he was breathing. Hell, he could feel how hard he was getting.

“Why did you ask me to kiss you?” Roy asked, taking a bold fucking chance, wincing when Jamie’s eyes slammed shut, face turning away with what might have been embarrassment.

“I don’t know, okay? I wasn’t thinkin’. I just have weird reactions to people being nice to me sometimes.”

Roy blinked, about to try removing himself from Jamie’s fucking lap, but Jamie was already tightening his grip on Roy’s hands, meeting his eyes again, something daring in them. It was clear he wanted Roy not to ask, to push instead. Needed it in a way that settled wrong in Roy’s lungs. Jamie damn well knew that Roy wouldn’t force him into talking about it, but fuck if he wasn’t obviously hoping for him to just act on it.

“Did you actually want me to kiss you?”

Jamie licked his lips, gesture conscious and testing. “Maybe.”

Frowning, Roy leaned forward, gratified when Jamie’s mouth parted, eyes dropping to Roy’s like he’d been trying to trick Roy into doing.

“Jamie. I won’t do this if it’s just- I don’t know, a fucking trauma response or some shit-”

“But you’d do it? For the right reasons?”

Roy couldn’t help but smile, relieved to see the facade Jamie thought he needed to put on break away, raw hope obvious on his flushed face.

“Tell me, tell me the right reasons.”

“I wanted you to kiss me. I want you to.” Jamie swallowed, eyes darting away. “Not just tonight, because- Not just tonight, okay? Not just because you’ve been nice to me.”

“You don’t owe me anything, you know that right?” Roy felt the need to ask, to make sure, heart twisting when Jamie momentarily hesitated.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I want it, I want you. Do you- um, do you? Want to kiss me?”

Roy let his thumb run along the thin skin of Jamie’s wrist, feeling his pulse jump there. “Yeah, Jamie. I do. I just needed to make sure you knew the choice is yours as much as it is mine.”

“So you’re definitely not just agreeing to this because you, like, feel bad for me or somethin’?”

“No, but you knew that already, you just want to hear me tell you how much I want you.”

Jamie grinned with a halfhearted shrug, but Roy knew how to read the minimal insecurity behind the bravado anyway.

“I’ve wanted to kiss you for days, if not months, you dolt.”

“Was it because I was wearing your kits? Possessive basta-”

“It’s because it’s you, shithead. The Kent branding helped, sure, but it was the person underneath that mattered.”

Jamie looked stunned for a moment, barely recovering enough to smirk, cheeks going adorably rosy at the honesty. “Fine, I like you, too, whatever. Are we done talking about this now?”

Snorting, Roy pulled away, tilting sideways to sit up against the headboard. He regretted it when he saw the panic flicker in Jamie’s eyes, the way his body tensed.

“Shit, sorry, come here. My knee was smarting, just needed to-” He didn’t get to finish his sentence, words falling away at the sight of Jamie rushing to settle over his thighs, to press their foreheads together with a shaky inhale.

“This is good, too. Like this.”

“Yeah?” Roy asked, breathless as his hands pulled at Jamie’s hips to get him closer. “What else do you like?”

“We’ve established that already, man. Had I not made it clear I was gagging to be kissed? Jesus christ.”

Roy laughed, vision blurring as Jamie’s smile got closer, as he watched Jamie’s eyes fall shut like he already knew he’d won. And by god, he really had.

Roy couldn’t find it in himself to tease him further, fingers gentle as they ran over Jamie’s cheek, down to his chin to tilt him just right to meet his kiss, exhale long and rough through his nose as Jamie made a tiny desperate noise at the barest of contact.

Jamie’s hands jerked up to grab at the collar of Roy’s shirt, like he needed to use up the energy he wanted to put into the kiss somewhere else, happy to let Roy keep things slow enough to drown in.

Smiling, Roy didn’t give him what he wanted, not just yet, keeping the kiss tame, soft in a way he knew neither of them ever really indulged in. Jamie especially, if the way he trembled was anything to go by, like he wasn’t used to waiting, to savoring. Like he was more accustomed to kissing only being the precursor to just being used for pleasure. Roy had no doubt Jamie loved that, but he also wondered if maybe Jamie had just never been given the opportunity. The patience.

Every time Jamie would try to deepen the kiss, Roy would move just enough to redirect them, humming when Jamie followed easily, when Jamie allowed Roy to slow them right back down until he was twitching from trying to hold back, keeping his hips still under Roy’s hands.

Roy was honestly impressed with how long it took until Jamie whined, giving him the excuse to get Jamie’s mouth open under his, swallowing his surprised whimper.

Jamie rubbed up against him, a beautifully unconscious movement as his arms curled around Roy’s neck, like he needed to hold on to something, to ground himself when the kiss turned messy. Just dirty enough to have Jamie panting against Roy.

“Fuck,” Jamie whispered when Roy got a hand in his hair, using it to move him enough to mouth at Jamie’s jaw, hiding his grin there between nips. “Okay, yeah, alright.”

Roy snorted, getting a gentle grip on Jamie’s hair to bring them together again, Jamie’s moan imprinting itself against Roy’s bottom lip while his hips jumped forward.

Jamie’s breathing was already ragged, palms warm as they pulled at the back of Roy’s shirt without any real intention.

Roy’s other arm wrapped around Jamie’s waist, encouraging him to rock down, keeping him close when Jamie did so with a broken sound he tried to hide in their kiss, grumbling when Roy smiled into it.

“Why aren’t you, like, roughing me up and shit?” Jamie asked when Roy went back to running his fingers through Jamie’s hair.

Roy paused, slowly bringing his hand down to cup Jamie’s cheek.

“Is that what you enjoy?” Roy kept his voice carefully even.

Jamie seemed taken aback by the question and something went cold in Roy’s chest.

“‘Just thought that, out of everyone, you’d want your chance to slap me around, is all.”

Roy’s mouth tightened before he forced his face to relax when it seemed to make Jamie uneasy, eyes refusing to meet Roy’s as he unwound his arms from around his neck.

“Jamie, I- Fuck. I would never do anything like that unless you actively asked for it. Unless we talked about it explicitly first. And even then, I care about you too much to ever actually hurt you.”

Jamie squirmed a little in Roy’s lap before he shrugged and leaned down to kiss Roy again, tutting when Roy didn’t let him.

“Look,” Jamie started with a sigh, “I just figured you’d be into rough stuff, okay? It’s not, like- I don’t know, I’m not broken or nothing.”

“I didn’t say that you were.”

“You into missionary vanilla, then? Boring in bed, are we?”

Roy ran his hand through Jamie’s hair again with a small smile, breathing evening out when Jamie melted into it like he had every other time, even if he seemed to do so reluctantly.

“Sometimes, yeah.” Roy answered, refusing to take the bait. “It can be really nice, it can be what you need in the moment.”

Jamie eyed him suspiciously but his hands came back up to rest against Roy’s chest, fingers kind of fidgety.

“I don’t want to do anything that makes you uncomfortable, you hear me?” Roy asked, trying not to sound patronizing or judgmental even if his stomach felt tight with anger for anyone who could have made Jamie think that wasn’t a given. “I want to know what makes you feel good.”

“But then aren’t you just going along with what I want and ignoring your own kinks?” It was said cheekily, with a patented lopsided smile and a little bit too much legitimate curiosity.

“I would let you know if there was anything I wasn’t into, it’s a give and take, but it’s not about-”

“Are you trying to explain sex to me, Kent?” Jamie rolled his eyes and let out a small gasp when Roy tightened his hand in his hair, just a little, just to test the waters.

“No, dickhead, I’m trying to fucking communicate so that this will be nice for both of us.”

“What if I don’t only want nice?”

Roy went back to petting Jamie’s hair, already addicted to how pliant it made him. “I need you to be clear about what you want, not just what you think I might want.”

“I dunno, maybe-”

Roy waited, watching as Jamie glanced away and raised his shoulders in another shrug without letting them fall back down until Roy gently scratched along his nape.

“I think I want you to be, like, a little rough with me physically but not, um, with your words, I guess? That’s always been the part I like best, with sex, I mean. Being... good, you know?”

Roy nodded, tilting his head to make Jamie look at him. “I would really like that. I don’t want to be mean to you, contrary to what you seem to believe. I want this, us, to feel good, yeah? No doing shit just for my benefit.”

Jamie groaned up at the ceiling before wiggling a bit in Roy’s lap, grinning when it made Roy grunt. “Can we get on with it, then?”

“As long as you promise to ask for-”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it-”

Roy brought his hands down to squeeze Jamie’s waist, not missing how it made him twitch. “As long as you promise to ask for what you want and you fucking tell me if I do anything you don’t.”

Jamie rolled his eyes and leaned forward, wrapping his arms around Roy’s shoulders again. “Can I ask if you’d let me fuck you, then?”

Roy smiled, fingers running down Jamie’s thighs to see if it would get another little noise out of him. It did.

“I’m very much down for that.” Roy’s smile grew when Jamie’s eyebrows went up in surprise.

“Well, shit, I didn’t think you’d actually say yes to that. But, um-” Jamie started squirming again, for good reasons this time, rolling his hips down when Roy pressed into them with his thumbs. “I think I’d rather have you fuck me.”

“You think?” Roy asked, just to be a shit, even though they could both feel how onboard he was.

It was Jamie’s turn to tentatively grip the hair at the back of Roy’s head, smiling in delight when Roy gasped. “I know. I know I want you to fuck me, okay? Want it.”

Roy grinned, before surging forward to kiss Jamie again, humming when Jamie immediately opened up for him with a whine. “Good boy,” he whispered against Jamie’s lips, hearing it when his breath caught before he tried to cover it up by kissing back.

Roy gladly let Jamie take the lead, charmed when Jamie just went back to kissing him, not pushing for more. Not until Roy tugged at the back of Jamie’s shirt and then it was gone, yanked off with no finesse that spoke to how worked up Jamie was. Like he was realizing he didn’t have to put on a show, not for Roy, not with them.

Jamie’s fingers pulled at Roy’s collar, wordlessly asking for permission and getting it when Roy took his own shirt off, secretly pleased when Jamie’s exhale stuttered before his hands ran down Roy’s chest.

Roy splayed his own hands across Jamie’s back, nudging him forward into a kiss that was only interrupted when Jamie scooted back to reach for Roy’s waistband, a tiny frown pulling between his eyebrows when he seemed to realize he’d have to get off Roy’s lap to actually get his joggers off.

With a soft laugh, Roy tilted them onto their sides, distracting Jamie with another kiss as he yanked at his shorts, only getting them halfway down his thighs before Jamie distracted him right back by rolling them until Roy was under him and suddenly naked.

Roy laughed again, especially when he caught Jamie chewing on his bottom lip before looking back up with an almost guilty grin, cheeks going a bit pink. The shade bloomed darker when Jamie reached under Roy’s guest room bed and pulled out a fucking half empty bottle of lube.

“Come here, you,” Roy said, voice gravelly enough to make Jamie visibly shiver as he threw his own shorts all the way off and fully settled over Roy to kiss him, desperation obvious in a way that made Roy wonder just how long Jamie had wanted this.

“Roy,” Jamie breathed when Roy let his fingers run up Jamie’s back before tangling in his hair, pulling at it just enough that Jamie couldn’t muffle his moan against Roy’s mouth. “Please, I- Roy.”

“You want my fingers?” Roy asked, feeling overwhelmed with how openly needy Jamie was being, showmanship forgotten as he nodded with wide unfocused eyes, only brought back to clarity when Roy dragged his thumb over his parted lips, encouraging him to answer.

“Yeah, yes.” Jamie blinked, what looked like shame clouding his face for a moment until he must have seen the reverence on Roy’s.

“Perfect. You’re being so good for me.” Words Roy would usually never say came out on instinct, only noticed when Roy saw Jamie’s reaction to them, eyes squeezing shut as his body shuddered, pushing back against Roy’s hand teasing down his spine.

It was a heady feeling. This man, this ridiculously powerful man whose name lingered on the world’s lips, was allowing Roy to see him like this, to see a Jamie who looked torn between playfully embarrassed and elated.

A Jamie who couldn’t seem to stop making bitten back noises every time Roy touched him. Who moaned unabashedly when Roy moved him onto his back and nudged his thighs apart with his knee.

A Jamie who teared up when Roy slowly worked a finger into him and cackled when Roy cooed at him like a doofus.

A Jamie who finally stopped trying to control what his mouth was doing between the second and third finger, forehead creased, eyes still a little misty, as he tried to rock back against Roy’s hand.

He was still the same Jamie, though, especially when he started getting impatient, his pleading taking on a distinctly annoyed tone as Roy snorted and kissed him quiet, their smiles making it messy and silly in a way that had Roy feeling so fucking light.

“Are you gonna fuck me yet or do I need- get gloved up already!”

Roy laughed, biting at Jamie’s jaw as he blindly reached under the bed, almost knocking the lube to the floor in the process.

“How do you want me?” Roy asked, briefly distracted by having to open a brand new box of condoms, wondering if they’d been part of Isaac’s care package for Jamie and if the whole fucking team knew this would happen.

Jamie’s grin was blinding as he made a show of settling against the pillows, arms crossed behind his head. “I’m just fine right here, thanks.”

Roy grabbed his chin, barely having to pull before Jamie was following him up. “Right, just for that, you’re gonna be putting in the work. I think I should have you ride me, yeah? See how long it takes before you’re begging me to take over.”

Jamie let out an endearingly weird sound, somewhere between a laugh and a whimper, already scrambling up and shoving Roy down.

“You just want to see my thighs in action.”

“Damn fucking right I do,” Roy wheezed out, a lapful of Jamie pressing him down into the mattress before he was being kissed, getting lost in it until he felt Jamie rolling the condom on, grip meanly tight.

Roy reached down to tweak Jamie’s nipple, knowing it would backfire when of course it just made him groan as he felt around for the lube again.

Roy stopped being able to do anything right around then as Jamie started lowering himself down onto him, too fast, too good. Jamie arched back, chest heaving as he slowed, mouth dropped open, thighs trembling under Roy’s hands.

“Fuck. Fuck, Roy.”

“Yeah? Feel good?”

Jamie’s glare was half-assed at best, breaking open as he moaned and stopped moving once Roy was all the way inside.

“God, fucking look at you. I want to say the stupidest shit about how good you look right now.”

Jamie’s smile was shaky but so fucking bright, his hips tilting upwards in tiny increments. “Tell me. You know I like hearing- Oh, fuck.”

“Taking me so well, aren’t you? Fucking perfect, you’re so fucking perfect.”

“Roy,” Jamie whined, one hand leaving Roy’s knee to hold himself at the base, barely jerking himself off, not needing the help to stay hard.

“My good boy, that’s what you want, isn’t it? To know just how fucking good you’re being for me. Jesus, Jamie.”

Jamie’s moan sounded like it was ripped out of him, pushing himself up and rocking back faster, eyes struggling to stay on Roy.

“Go on, take what you need. Make yourself feel good for me.”

Roy couldn’t even be embarrassed about the shit he was saying when it was clearly fucking working for Jamie, making him shudder and grind down.

“That’s it, that’s it, Jamie.” Roy gritted his teeth, feeling it when Jamie clenched around him, barely moving anymore just letting Roy press up against his prostate.

“Roy, please, I need- please, come on, fuck me. I can come like this, I just need- please.”

“God, fuck, I can’t even tease you about that, I’m fucking losing my mind, here.” Roy laughed breathlessly when Jamie suddenly dropped down on top of him, tucking his face against Roy’s throat and crying out when Roy’s hips snapped up.

“We can make a deal not to mock- fuck, oh - each other about coming too quickly, I just- fuck Roy I need you, I need it. Fuck me.”

Roy wrapped an arm around Jamie’s sweaty back, folding his knees up so he could rock up faster, finding a rhythm after a few false starts lost to the sounds Jamie made between the babbled pleas.

Roy’s hand found its way into Jamie’s hair, gripping at it until Jamie kissed him, whining into his mouth as Roy fucked up into him harder.

“You can come like this?” Roy asked, a mumbled mess of panting, almost getting Jamie’s forehead to the nose when Jamie nodded. “You think you can come on my cock?”

“How does that shit sound sexy when you say it, fucking hell, don’t stop.”

“The shit I’m saying or the fucking?”

Jamie’s laugh was a cracked thing, dissolving into punched-out moans as he kept nodding mindlessly. “Any of it, fuck.”

“You’re so fucking pretty like this, jesus christ, it’s like you were made for me.”

“Yeah, yeah, made for you to fuck, yours,” Jamie slurred out, smile still cheeky as he visibly forced himself to meet Roy’s eyes. “You gonna come in me, then?”

“You fucking first. You’re gonna come without my hand like a good boy, aren’t you?”

“Keep fucking me like that and I just migh- shit! Oh, right there. Harder, fuck.”

“You know, funnily enough, I’m kind of limited by human ability. I’m not a fucking machine.”

Jamie giggled, nails digging into Roy’s chest as he shoved himself back, only managing to disrupt their momentum. Roy must have gotten something right when he found it again though because Jamie was shouting out what might have been Roy’s name, going taut and holding himself still so Roy could keep the same angle.

Despite his quip, Roy did manage to find the leverage to fuck in faster, feet slipping against the sheets as Jamie went nearly quiet, body shaking so hard Roy could feel it in his fucking teeth.

“That’s it, Jamie. Come for me.” The request fell out of him less like an order but impossibly tender instead, matching the fingers he scratched through Jamie’s hair before he tightened his grip right as he ran his thumb along Jamie’s bottom lip, pulling his mouth open to hear his high moan.

Roy felt Jamie come between them, not quite a contactless endeavor since he’d been rubbing up against Roy’s stomach but still fucking hot enough to have Roy following right after him without his input, letting out a frankly humiliatingly wheezy series of grunts.

Jamie slumped down with a winded laugh, stretching out his fingers where they’d been digging into Roy’s shoulders.

“Fuck. That was mint, my guy.”

“I’m not your guy,” Roy answered on autopilot, voice as wrecked as Jamie’s.

“Aren’t you though? From where I’m sitting, being on your dick and all, I think that means that you’re mine.”

Roy smiled, nudging his face against Jamie’s damp curling hair when he shifted to get closer and let out a displeased sound at being empty again. “Yeah, I guess it does.”

Jamie’s breath stuttered tellingly so Roy nudged a finger under his chin so he could meet his eyes.

“Is that something you’d want? Because I don’t really do casual, Jamie, but I’m willing to follow your lead on this.”

Jamie blinked quickly before smiling, a little shy around the edges. “Yeah? Interested in being more than just fuck buddies?”

Roy flicked Jamie’s nose with a snort. “Suppose I could live with that.”

Jamie’s smile didn’t dim but his eyes darted away before he tried to hide against Roy’s throat.

“Jamie.” Roy waited until he looked back at him. “We’ve already established that I like you, and yes I like having you in my bed, but I also just like having you around in general. I’m all in if you are.”

“I’d like that, the whole being all in thing,” Jamie whispered, actually blushing in a way that almost felt antithetical to the version of Jamie that lived outside of Roy’s perception of him. God help him, but Roy was starting to adore getting to see that side of him, the one that came with a sweet smile Roy was pretty sure only he was allowed to witness.

“Good. That sorted or do you want me to write you a poem?” Jamie laughed and swatted at him, curling up against Roy’s chest and reaching down to carefully take the condom off in a way that still felt rude somehow, not even looking at he threw it in the general direction of the bin and still getting it in. “I’m sure I got a couple rhymes in me. Bet I could write out a few sonnets about-”

“Okay, okay, I get it!”

“Or maybe I could just tell you. Tell you how witty, and funny, and gorgeo-”

Jamie squirmed, not even pretending to try getting away from him as his laugh took a giggly turn.

“Ew, I take it all back, I think we should just be coworkers.”

Roy smiled up at the ceiling, letting Jamie move his arms around until they were wrapped around his back, uncaring of the mess between them.

“Nah, I think you like it. I think you like me.”

Jamie pressed his silly grin against Roy’s chin, ruining the cuteness by biting at him. “Maybe I do, what of it?”

Humming, Roy turned his head to kiss the tip of Jamie’s ear. “I will just have to keep you, then.”

“Might have to, what with my come gluing your chest hair to me, seriously, mate, how-”

Roy groaned, jokingly shoving Jamie off of him but following right after him so he could taste his loud laughter between his teeth. Roy couldn’t stop smiling, it was embarrassing.

He loved it.

“How’s your knee?” Jamie asked after he bullied Roy back into a cuddling position, dismissing his requests for a shower.

“Might have to adjust my physio routine to keep up with you, but I’m fine, don’t worry.”

“Can’t break you too quickly. I guess I could pace myself, or-”

Fuck it felt good to interrupt him with a kiss, which only really served to further Jamie’s agenda, but still.

Roy only managed to convince Jamie to get up to take a shower after he promised they could do it together. Roy only managed to convince Jamie to get out of the shower to join him for dinner once he was coming down from a second orgasm just from Roy’s fingers.

It didn’t take any convincing for Jamie to come to bed with him after the shittiest movie they could find to makeout to.

On the seventh day, Roy got to wake up to Jamie having somehow relocated during the night to spoon him from behind, ass hanging off the edge of the mattress. Jamie got to wake up to Roy catching him right before he fell off the bed.