Chapter Text
It’s a night of celebration for all of Richmond.
The team won their game 2-0 this afternoon, putting them near the top of the league for the first time in a long time. Isaac led the post-game celebrations in the locker room, deciding that tonight, the team was going out to have some fun.
The coaching staff was roped into it as well, Ted, Beard, Nate, and Roy all agreeing to meet the boys downtown later that night. After that, word spread to Keeley, Higgins, and Rebecca, and before they knew it, the whole club was in.
They haven’t done anything like this since their karaoke night in Manchester, but the mere memory of how much fun they’d had that night makes Rebecca smile.
She checks her hair one last time in the mirror before grabbing her purse off the kitchen counter. She leaves her house with a grin as a wave of excitement rolls through her entire body.
The joy turns to nerves the second she steps foot in the pub.
The bell on the door rings as she pushes it open, and the whole pub cheers her name as she steps over the threshold. It is undoubtably the most packed she’s ever seen this place, fans everywhere decked in Richmond jerseys and scarves, while the actual players don high end shirts and jackets. It’s a juxtaposition if she’s ever seen one, but none of them really seem to care.
It’s only a second before everyone goes back to their prior conversations, seemingly forgetting about Rebecca who’s still standing by the door.
Mae manages to catch her eye and has a pint sent over, handed from person to person through the crowd until it reaches her. Rebecca nods and raises her glass slightly to show her appreciation.
The crowd doesn’t seem to thin out in any direction, so for a moment she just stands there and sips on her drink. Her natural stature (plus the heels) allows her to see over almost everyone in the small pub. She spots Roy and Keeley in one corner, sitting in a booth with some of the players while his arm rests on the seat behind her. Beard is sitting along the bar, talking to Baz, Paul, and Jeremy about something – what exactly, she has no idea – but the three of them seem fascinated.
Rebecca scans the back wall for the one person she really wants to see, but it takes her a minute to spot him because he’s already pushing through the crowd, making his way over to her.
“Hey, boss,” he greets her with a smile. “I was beginning to think you might not show.”
“And miss all of this?” she waves her hand around the room.
“I’ll admit, it has gotten a little out of hand, but hey – the more the merrier, right?”
“If you say so, Ted,” she almost laughs.
“This is what it’s all about, ain’t it?” he shrugs. “The people, the community – it’s why we play the game in the first place.”
Rebecca takes a deep breath as a smile settles on her face. “You are absolutely right,” she raises her glass to his. “To Richmond.”
“To Richmond,” he clinks his glass against hers before downing the last few sips.
Ted passes his empty glass over towards the bar but doesn’t make any moves to get another one just yet. He runs his hand through his hair, tucking back the single tendril that never stays in place, before turning back to Rebecca with a new light in his eyes.
“Well, come on now,” he nods his head to the far corner. “You don’t want to miss all the action.”
“Action?” she raises one eyebrow.
“Yeah,” Ted looks over towards the pinball machine. “Jamie and Isaac are in a race to see who can beat my high score first, and Colin’s still trying to make it on to the leaderboard in the first place.”
Rebecca actually laughs at that – the sight of her Richmond boys gathering around a machine that’s actually older than some of the players – and Ted takes that as his cue to lead the way.
He parts the crowd gently, muttering sorry and excuse us every five seconds as he carefully finds his way through the patrons. They don’t make it five feet before Rebecca grows impatient.
“Oh for God’s sake Ted,” she rolls her eyes as she pushes past him, “come on now, stay with me.”
His hand slides into hers before she can take another step, and it makes her pause. She looks back at their joined hands, his holding on to hers firmly, before looking up at him.
Ted shrugs with a dimpled grin. “So I don’t get lost along the way.”
Rebecca rolls her eyes again, but this time it comes with a smile, so Ted considers it a victory.
She pushes through the crowd with ease, the patrons parting as soon as they see the boss lady coming their way. They make it over to the crowded pinball machine in no time.
As they saddle up to the side of the game – where Jamie’s currently halfway to the high score and climbing – Rebecca almost forgets that she and Ted are holding hands. She moves to drop his hand, casually, but when her grip on him loosens, he just hangs on tighter.
She doesn’t look at him at first, she doesn’t want to make a scene in front of all the players. Their hands are hidden by the crowd and pinball and no one’s paying attention to them anyways. Besides, it feels kind of nice, having someone wanting to hold on to her again.
Another minute passes before Ted starts to stir. He cheers on Jamie to make up for Isaac’s trash talk, and it’s such a good distraction that she almost misses it – the way his palm starts to rotate in hers until all their fingers are lined up and then interlocked together.
He gives her hand a light squeeze and she’s doing everything she can not to blush. Her smile is spreading wide across her face, but she masks it by directing her attention to the game at hand.
Eventually Jamie loses – only a thousand points off from breaking Ted’s record – and he hangs his head while Isaac cheers.
“Coach, how do you get numbers that high?” Jamie asks. “That’s the best I’ve played all night and I still can’t beat it.”
“Training makes perfect,” he winks at Rebecca before looking back at Jamie.
Jamie just shakes his head as he moves to the side of the machine. “You’re up.”
“Really? Already?” Ted asks.
It’s then that Rebecca realizes she doesn’t want him to let go of her hand. He’ll need two hands to play, but the feeling of his palm pressed against hers – knowing he’s there beside her without having to look – it’s something she’s not ready to give up.
“Yeah, Colin’s turn ended a bit early.”
“I told you,” Colin jumps in, “I got something in my eye, and I couldn’t see the ball.”
“Yeah?” Isaac responds. “Was that your excuse on the pitch today too?”
The boys laugh, even Colin manages a smile with his eye roll, but Rebecca’s still having an internal debate between her brain and her heart. She ends up just tightening her grip on Ted’s hand for a few seconds, and hopes that can convey enough of what she’s feeling without having to use the words.
“I’ll tell you what,” Ted starts, “Colin can have my turn, it sounds like he needs a second chance.”
“Really?” Colin’s eyes brighten.
“Sure,” Ted grins. His thumb starts to move over the back of Rebecca’s. “Second chances are what got us here in the first place. Isn’t that right boss?”
Rebecca looks over at him and this time she can’t help but blush at the way his eyes sparkle whenever he’s looking at her.
“It’s Richmond way,” she smiles back at him.
Colin jumps up to the machine, eyes focused on the game as Isaac and Jamie cheer him on with the occasional pat on the back.
Rebecca takes another drink of her almost forgotten beer, her smile still firmly in place. She offers it to Ted after, who kindly takes a sip before handing it back.
And if she almost drops it later when his finger starts to trace patterns on her hip, no one’s the wiser.