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Roy stands in front of his locker.
Fuck, that hurts. He didn’t even get to see the look on that prick’s face when he caught up to him. Instead, he was on his back with a blown knee. Staring at his number on the wall, he knows those idiot announcers are already speculating that he's done for good. Roy Kent doesn’t leave the pitch before the final whistle. What a fucking disaster.
Keeley stares through the door at him.
The pain on his face breaks her heart. She could go over to hug him, tell him how great he played and that it’ll all be okay. That always worked with footballers. Only, he’s not like those other guys. Doesn’t need that. Wouldn’t want that. Words won’t fix this.
“You’re not allowed back here during the game."
He can’t bring himself to look up again as she walks towards him. She was so excited to surprise him with his jersey last night. They both knew her wearing it meant something. It’s not a thing she did. Not a thing that ever mattered much to him until he saw it on her. Suddenly, it mattered very much. She was so fucking happy. Like her boyfriend was the star not a guy demoted to the bench. And this is how he shows up for her. By not even finishing the fucking game.
She keeps walking.
She’d break a thousand rules to be here right now. She was so proud of him. He did one of the hardest things in his career today, not being in the starting lineup. Still, he played like a warrior to give the lads a fighting chance. And here he is still fighting. She’s fighting too - for him, for them.
“I told you, you have to get out.”
Doing his best to sound like he can actually make her do what he wants, he forces himself to look at her. Barely. This shit hurt enough without seeing pity in her eyes. He doesn’t want to do the thing where she says meaningless crap trying to make him feel better. That’s what all the girlfriends did. So much bloody chatter. The only thing worse is the pity that comes with it. He doesn't want her to see him like this. Can’t bear to hear her pity him. They haven’t been together long enough for her to have to deal with this.
She keeps walking.
She’s not deterred by his serious voice or the broody eyes he uses to scare people away. Neither were as important as how he ended up here. How the stadium fell quiet for her before the cheering actually stopped. Silent except for her panic. She knew it was bad. He should’ve popped up immediately to talk shit at Jaime, but he didn’t. The panic that consumed her in those few minutes was terrifying and proved once and for all that she had fallen in love with Roy Kent at lightning speed. Once he stood up, relief was immediately replaced with this overwhelming need to see him. She knew she was supposed to wait, but she couldn’t. She needed to be with him and thought he maybe needed her too.
“I mean it, stay the fuck away from me.”
Fighting to hold it together, he pushes the words out in one last, desperate protest he knows she’ll ignore. She’s all in. He can see it in those fucking eyes of hers. Instead of the fear or pity he expected, they’re full of love and determination. His instinct is to try to push her away again, to scream that she’s wasting her time on him. Looking at her, he can’t bring himself to say those words. What he sees in her eyes makes him want to let her inside the one space he's never dared to share.
She stops.
He doesn’t scare her. Never has. She could always look right through whatever angry rant he was going on about and see the real Roy Kent in front of her. Her panda masquerading as an angry lion. She steadies herself and her resolve. Fixing it meant sitting in it with him. She’s sure this is right. This is where she's supposed to be.
He battles himself as she takes a seat next to him.
He can’t burden her with this. With what’s to come. An aging footballer who hasn’t had a decent relationship in years. Rehabbing a bum knee. Playing here or maybe somewhere else or worse - a retired footballer trying to sort himself out. She deserves better than a miserable prick with an uncertain future.
She takes his hand, covering it with hers.
Strong, a little rough yet soft and gentle. Like the man they belong to. She loves these hands. They take care of her, make her feel like everything’s okay. Remind her she's safe. Loved. Cherished.
He watches her hand on his as she slides closer.
He leans towards her, surrendering a little bit more the moment her body is against his. He can feel her eyes on him. He has no idea why, but she makes him feel calm when things are anything but. Like a balm soothing his wounds, his soul. He’s grateful for her.
She brings her hand up to stroke his hair.
She doesn’t look away not even for an instant. Gently guiding his head towards hers, letting him know it’s okay to rest. To let go of everything he’s trying to hold back from her right now. That she can handle it. That they can handle it together.
He leans in putting his head on her shoulder.
He needs her. He doesn’t know why he’s pretending he doesn’t. He’d gotten quite good at convincing himself he didn’t need anyone and they didn’t need him. Harder in more recent times, he’s finding it almost impossible to do with her. She’s the realest thing he ever let into his life and the hardest thing to scare away. She’s become his safe space.
She wraps her arm around his shoulder.
As more of his weight shifts onto her, she feels his body release some of the tension he’s holding in. She wraps her arm around his shoulder, holding on tighter than usual and pressing him closer to her. This is exactly where she wants to be. Taking care of him. Making sure he knows he’s not alone in this. Not today, tomorrow or any of the days after that.
He reaches over and takes her hand in his.
All this time he thought he was ok. Just a bit lonely. Tired of one night stands and shit relationships, he worked up the courage to go after this woman he’d secretly fancied since he joined Richmond. Here beside her, more naked than he’s been with anyone, he realizes he had been far from okay before. Clueless about what was actually missing until he opened his heart to her and she settled right in, treating it with care and filling it with everything he needed and more.