Always Here to Catch You in My Arms (Ted Lasso, Jamie)

[Guest]

Alr here’s the sick Jamie fic I’ve been working on for a while. I meant it to be shorter but it’s over 1.6k (oops). Still, if there’s no content, you gotta make content 🤷‍♀️ thanks to everyone who’s supported me, hope you like it!

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As another freezing gust of wind made him shiver, Jamie cursed whatever sadistic prick decided to use material about as thick as tissue paper to make football jerseys. It certainly didn't help that he had woken up feeling like he had just skinny dipped in ice water (I bet Roy fuckin' Kent would enjoy that, he thought with a smirk), and with a tickly nose blocked to the point that it was a struggle to breathe.

He had spent that morning hurriedly pulling some layers onto his shaking body, and sneezing his head off in the privacy of his own home. Now that he was at practice, though, Jamie was determined to hide the fact that he was sick as a dog (a greyhound, to be more fitting) from his teammates. And this proved to be harder than he'd thought.

His constant sniffling was received with many curious looks, and his uncontrollable trembling as he changed into his football kit prompted a "You good, bruv?" from Isaac. Jamie brushed these off with a mumble about a mold allergy, or that the heating in his car was busted. He was desperate for this weakness to remain undiscovered; but he didn't know how much longer he could keep up the charade.

A shout from Rojas on his left yanked him back to the present, and he blinked tears from the stinging cold out of his eyes. Just as he had focused on the football hurtling towards him, it had passed right in between his legs.

Jamie blinked again, this time more out of confusion than anything. He could see that Roy was yelling something at him—nothing new—but the congestion in this head made everything sound thick and fuzzy.

He shook his head and cupped his ear. "Eh?"

"I said, you're playing like your arse is where your eyes should be!" Roy stormed towards him in a fury. "Watch the fucking ball, listen to your fucking teammates, or go the fuck home!"

Jamie strained to pay attention to Roy as he felt a tickle building in the back of his sinuses. Shit, not now. He disguised a desperate rub of his nose as a hand reaching to fix his hair.

Roy was now a few centimeters away from him. "Are you fucking listening?"

Jamie nodded his head furiously, and prayed that Roy would leave the pitch before he sneezed all over his ugly face. 

He breathed a sigh of relief when Roy turned around, which quickly turned into a sharp inhale. Helpless against the incoming attack, he surrendered to the teasing sensation and stifled five quick, silent sneezes into his wrist. Jamie sniffled miserably and ran his palm up his reddening nose. The faint throbbing in his sinuses still remained, and he let out an exasperated groan as he massaged his nose's bridge.

"Bless you, amigo!" 

Jamie looked up from his arched position, and realized with dismay that Dani had noticed his not-so-subtle fit. Giving a small nod and a wave of his hand, Jamie winced at the volume at which Dani had announced his blessing.

Dani grinned and bounced up and down with a boundless energy that honestly terrified Jamie, and jogged towards him to thump him across the back. "Don't worry. You will get it next time, Jamie Tartt!"

Jamie gave him a tight-lipped grin and willed for Dani to leave him alone. When he trotted away, Jamie pinched his nose tightly and begged for his nostrils to stop flaring. He breathed raggedly through his mouth, and he felt his pulse beat sickeningly in his head.
Somewhere among the cacophony of noises surrounding his sickly haze, Jamie heard the blowing of a whistle, and the game resumed. He squinted to focus on Bumbercatch, who had made a dummy run and sent the ball backwards to Colin. Jamie's heartbeat pounded in his ears, and he had to close his eyes to block out the pain that made the world a blur.

He started to jog in rhythm with the ebbing and flowing mechanism of the team, but the movement tilted the ground beneath him. In a moment Jamie had lost control. The damp grass met his cheek and he was grateful for its soft cushion that had embraced him so warmly. He could've stayed there on the pitch, head resting on the green, could've forgotten where and who he was with pleasure.

But he could feel himself being lifted, stirred from his fantasies against his will. No... just leave me here...

"Jamie? You okay, buddy?"

"He's not moving."

Jamie peered through his eyelids, begrudgingly, and nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Roy's frowned expression staring down at him. His shock and disgust grew when he realized that he was in Roy's arms. With a panicked flinch, he tried to push himself away from the coach.

"Jesus Christ, what d'ya think you're doin'?" he yelped.

Roy scoffed. "Seeing if you were okay, you prick! You fucking blacked out!"

Jamie rubbed his eyes and felt a sudden chill rack his body. He realized, with increasing discomfort, that the entire team had circled around to watch the spectacle. Flushing, he hurriedly stood up, wobbled slightly, and regained his balance.

"Whatever," he mumbled, his voice now shaking as well as the rest of him. "What are the rest of ya starin' at? Just—leave me the fuck alone." Jamie scanned them all with feverish eyes once more before stumbling towards the locker rooms, slamming the door behind him.

The rest of the team stood in silence, waiting for someone to do or say something, to go after Jamie, or to call off training now that they were without their star player.

Instead, Coach Lasso blew his whistle and clapped his hands. "Alright, fellas. Back to the game—we gotta get in as much playin' time as possible before Saturday!"

The footballers hesitated before jogging back onto the green, stealing confused glances back at Ted. Roy, meanwhile, was downright gawking at him.

When Ted noticed, he gave him a big grin. "Somethin' the matter, Coach?"

Roy blinked. "Something the—one of your players just fell, unconscious, right on the fucking pitch!"

"Yep." Ted brought his attention back to the game, rocking back and forth from his heels to his soles.

Roy made a noise of disbelief. "Are you just going to fucking stand there?

Coach Lasso kept smiling. "Well, there ain't much else we can do, can we?"

After a moment of death-staring the coach down, Roy swung around and marched in Jamie's direction. "Fucking mind games," he growled.

Roy burst through the club's doors, hurrying down the hallway, swiveling his head as he searched for Jamie. Frightened employees jumped out of his path.

What if he passed out again? Shit—what if he hit his head on the floor, or broke a bone, or—

"Jamie?" Roy peeked into the locker room. He was met with the sound of running water.

"HEEishhiew! HEIsh-eshiew! Huh-HeEIShew!"

And, well, the sound of Jamie.

Roy breathed a sigh of relief knowing that the footballer was still alive. Still concerned, he quietly followed the source of the noise.

Jamie was standing in the shower, exposed, his head angled up towards the flow of hot water that curled steam into the air. His arms hung limply at his sides, and his hair was plastered over his eyes. His chest gave a sudden heave, and his lips parted slightly with an sharp inhale.

"Heh-HEISh'ngt! HESHH-ngxt! Huh... HiESHHiew! HSH'Ngxt! Heh-NGshxt! Snf—"

Jamie doubled over with a violent fit of sneezes that seemed to wrench their way out of him. He barely had time to breathe before the next one, each explosion punctures by a desperate gasp for air. He hasn't even bothered to cover them, letting them take control of his shaking body.

Roy's heart dropped when his suspicions were verified: Jamie was sick. He groaned, frustrated. "Fuck."

Jamie whipped around, startled by the presence of his coach watching him as he showered.

"Holy shit, Roy. You gave me a right scare." His voice was rough and muffled with congestion. "Why'd you sneak up on me like that? Come and take a look at me arse?" He grinned weakly and turned around. "I don't blame ya, it is a work of art—hNggnt! HNgXt!" The effect was spoiled by a pair of poorly stifled sneezes. Jamie's head bobbed sharply and his hands moved up in front of his face.

Roy shook his head pitifully. "Look, mate—Jamie—I'm here to see if you're alright, as your coach, and—" he cleared his throat. "And as your f-friend."

Jamie studied him for a minute, then shut off the water. He started to shuffle out of the shower, but his legs buckled and he fell forward, just barely caught by Roy. He had grabbed his by the arms and was now facing him, studying his weary, sickly face. Jamie was a ghostly pale except for a slightly pinkish nose Roy could see in great detail. His hands gripped his damp skin. Soft.

Jamie broke from his hold and stumbled to his locker, his hand clinging to the wall for support. Roy watched in subdued amazement as this man, this absolute prick of a footballer and a person, pulled on his boxers shakily and fumbled with his deodorant with the strength and coordination of a newborn baby.

Roy sighed when it dropped with a clatter on the floor. Jamie simply stood there, a million miles away from the present. Roy grabbed Jamie's hoodie and pointed at the bench.

"Alright, sit down. Arms up."

Jamie sniffed. "'M not a baby." Still, he obediently plopped down and stuck out his hands.

Roy tugged the hoodie on with considerable difficulty, then helped him with his trousers. He held Jamie’s back as he let out two uncovered sneezes to the floor. Even after he was fully dressed, Jamie still shivered uncontrollably, his whole body trembling despite his forehead burning up. Roy slipped off his own jacket, and with some reluctance, draped it over Jamie’s shoulders.

The two of them sat there on the bench, acknowledging each other’s presence with silent tolerance, until they both fell asleep.

[HPG]

So perfectly in character! I read the entirety of Roy's part in his fucking voice, and the fact that Jamie sneezes in fits is perfection.

[Lady Blessington]

The ball rolling through Jamie’s legs is so funny! Dani is so cheerful, Ted is so practical, and Roy is the best 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Jamie saying his bum is a work of art & Roy helping him in with his hoodie 🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻

Also great soccer practice verisimilitude & way to work in so many characters from the ensemble!

[Guest]

On 8/3/2023 at 5:49 PM, HPG said:

So perfectly in character! I read the entirety of Roy's part in his fucking voice, and the fact that Jamie sneezes in fits is perfection.

Thank youu I’m glad you found the characters realistic!! That makes me so happy 

13 hours ago, ice_cream_though said:

The ball rolling through Jamie’s legs is so funny! Dani is so cheerful, Ted is so practical, and Roy is the best 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Jamie saying his bum is a work of art & Roy helping him in with his hoodie 🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻

Also great soccer practice verisimilitude & way to work in so many characters from the ensemble!

Tysm for supporting my work, I’m so glad you liked it!! Also I know absolutely nothing about football lol ❤️