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It was 4:02 AM. Roy stood outside Jamie Tartt’s front door, arms crossed, scowl etched deep into his face, his breath visible in the chilly morning air. He knocked again, louder this time.
“Oi! Tartt! It’s not me who’s tryina be the best, so either get your arse out here or I’m leaving!”
No reply. Roy grumbled under his breath. He considered just walking off, but he knew he wouldn’t. Training Jamie was no longer just an annoying favor, it was almost fun.
With a glower, he pulled out the extra key Jamie had given him a while ago and pushed the door open.
“Tartt, I’m coming in, and if you’re not decent, I don’t give a shit.”
The flat was quiet. Too quiet. Roy glanced around, his eyes taking in the mess of sneakers, cereal boxes on the counter and gym gear lying around.
“Tartt!” Roy bellowed, still standing in the entry. Finally, he heard a mumbled response and a minute later a disheveled looking Jamie popped his head out of the bedroom. “Gimme a minute” he yawned and disappeared again.
Roy rolled his eyes, grunting before moving on to the living room. He stopped short when he noticed something odd on the coffee table.
A pacifier. Bigger than a toddler’s, bright blue, and impossible to miss.
Roy’s eyebrows shot up. For a moment, he just stared at it. He reached out, hesitated, then picked it up by the ring, making sure not to touch the nipple.
“What the bloody hell...?”
Behind him, Jamie emerged from the bedroom, rubbing sleep from his eyes and wearing a shirt made of spandex. When he saw what Roy was holding, he immediately became alert.
“Oi, don touch tha’t!” Jamie sputtered, entering the living room and taking it from Roy’s hand.
Roy stood dumbfounded and turned towards Jamie. Seeing him gently cradle the dummy in his hand like it was something fragile just bewildered the older man more. “Tartt, is that a fucking pacifier?”
Jamie bit the inside of his cheek, looking away, trying to think of any explanation to pass of as a lie that Roy bloody Kent would buy. He came up empty.
“I…yeah,” Jamie admitted, scratching the back of his neck. His face a mix of uncertainty and anticipation. “It’s, uh for stress.”
Roy didn’t immediately reply. He just looked at Jamie, then back at the pacifier, then back at Jamie again. His expression was closed off, which only fueled Jamie’s apprehension.
“Stress?” Roy finally said, his voice low and gruff but not judgmental. “How’s a bloody dummy supposed to help with that?”
Jamie huffed, hating that he had to explain. “It’s like… I dunno, mate. Some people bite their nails. Some people punch walls. I just… chew on tha’t sumtimes. Helps me calm down.”
For a long moment, there was silence. Roy stared at Jamie, scrutinizing the star player’s expression. Jamie braced himself for the inevitable laughter, just like how he had laughed when he found out that his coach couldn’t bicycle.
He waited for some cutting remark about how he was a baby or soft or something equally rough.
But Roy surprised him.
“Huh,” he said, giving the pacifier one last look before meeting eyes with Jamie. “Weird, but whatever. Not the strangest shit I’ve seen. You ready to train, or am I here for nothing?”
Jamie furrowed his brows. “That it? You’re not gonna take the piss outta me?”
Roy shrugged. “No? You’re weird. I already knew that. Doesn’t change anything. Now hurry the fuck up. You’re wasting my morning.”
Jamie felt a surprising weight lift off him. “Alright, alright. Just lemme get me trainers on.”
“You better hurry,” Roy snapped, following the Jamie to the hallway in front of the entrance where all the lad’s shoes were.
Secretly while Jamie was busy tying his laces, Roy’s eyes softened. The kid was strange, but at least he was trying to deal with his shit. Who was Roy to judge? He’d seen worse coping mechanisms- and besides, it wasn’t the most insane thing he would’ve imagined.
When Jamie got up, ready to go, he found Roy waiting with crossed arms against the wall.
“You ever gonna tell anyone?” Jamie asked cautiously as they headed out into the cold morning air.
Roy glanced at him, his face serious. “What do you think?”
Jamie nodded, and for the first time tonight, he felt lighter. Despite the inopportune revelation, maybe Roy Kent wasn’t the worst person to know his secret. He grinned and ran off “Don’t fall behind grandad!”