#zava might be good
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girljamie to go with girlroy ... i'm of two minds when it comes to s3 girljamie , i am both in favor of big chop AND she leaves it long but lightens it still... idk. bangs be upon her either way ig
(more of richmond's women's team can be found here <3)
#my art#jamie tartt#ted lasso#soccer yuri been on my MIND lately. eating me alive.#NEED ted lasso to come out with a spin off for the women's team already.#need soccer yuri or i'll waste away.#also. for da record. i am of the transgender persuasion.#i have a gender studies degree.#i understand the nuance.#i think its fun to cisswaps AND trans aus. everyone take a breath.#that being said. do want to take a crack at butch!roy/transfem!jamie#also i do believe in season 2 jamie undercut also#which is a point in favor of the big chop so she doesn't have to deal with growing it out#but ALSO. i love bottle blonde long ass barbie hair jamie#idk. maybe i'll settle on a design sometime#i think dani or sam is next to receive the yurification beam#zava might be good#if the team was full of lesbians and zava was like. ive literally never looked at another woman besides my wife the whole vibe would be dif#soccer yuri
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“I don’t want people think I’m being a prick if I say it.”
Everything – and I mean every little fucking thing – about this scene is making me feral.
Jamie being aware of the problem (and the show being careful to establish that he would know more than the others about this type of play, by explicitly tracing the line from Cruyff to Pep to Jamie in the introduction video). Jamie wanting to speak up for the good of the team but also being aware that, yeah, this might land wrong. Vocalizing that.
And then the entire room gives Jamie the signal! Even Trent, after a moment’s hesitation! Did he know about this practice beforehand? How established is this? How often do they give Jamie the signal?
At least occasionally, I bloody well hope, because I love Jamie being a prick sometimes and Jamie loves being a prick sometimes – look at that little smile when he gets the go ahead? He’s so pleased! He gets to be a prick!
Though honestly, I think he’s also (and probably even more) pleased about the room trusting him here? The want to hear what he has to say, and they trust that it’s for the good of the team, not just him being a diva. You go ahead, Jamie. Be our prick. It must feel particularly good after the way his concerns about Zava was dismissed.
I love it. I love all of it.
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Heartfirst: A Ted Lasso Story - Chapter Five
Chapter Five: Golden Boy
Plot: Zava arrives at Richmond and some of the staff are more thrilled than others…specifically Y/n.
Warnings: f!reader, language, (16+)
Word Count: 4.6k
A/N: This chapter was quick to be cranked out, and Mr. Tartt finally enters the chat.
I’ve gotten a few requests for tags and as with most my fics, I’m only tagging 16+ with ages in bios. Looking out for younger eyes 👀
Hope you enjoy this one!
——————
The moment Zava had uttered the word ‘Richmond,’ Nelson Road was thrown into complete chaos.
Y/n, Keeley and Higgins had been working overtime overseeing plans for the official welcome event. Not only did Zava’s level of fame demand a big deal, but the whole city of Richmond was beside themselves with glee. They had to go all out.
“Okay,” Y/n said, typing out a quick text at Keeley’s desk, “Higgins says the red carpet was just delivered along with the banners.”
“Perfect,” Keeley replied, ticking off a box of the event’s long to-do list, “Did he say anything about ticket sales?”
Y/n and Keeley had been double-teaming the matter of Zava’s recruitment and had been meeting or speaking each morning since the Chelsea match. They were beginning to find their rhythm, passing tasks back and forth with a smooth stream of communication.
“Sold out,” Y/n answered, locking her phone and setting it down with a smile, “And have you been checking Twitter?”
“Oh, I know,” Keeley’s eyes widened, “Richmond’s been trending nearly every day. The power of celebrity!”
It was a PR blessing. Zava’s signing with the Greyhounds had completely blotted out the sewer meme, Nathan Shelley’s hateful comments, West Ham…the world’s eyes were on Richmond in the best possible way.
“Alright, so 10AM for the event’s start,” Y/n ran her pen down her task-list, “I doubt he’ll want to take pictures with fans, but there’s time to. But maybe a group one with the team would be a good idea?”
There was a light knock on Keeley’s door.
“Come in,” she called.
Opening and revealing Keeley’s latest hire, her friend Shandy, Y/n instinctively stiffened a little.
“I just thought of a great idea,” Shandy said with great enthusiasm, “What if we had…Zava dancers? Like they get for sports in the States,” Shandy gestured to Y/n, ”What do you think?”
Y/n and Keeley both wore the same over-exaggerated smile as they listened. Visions of Laker Girls and Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders danced through their minds.
“That’s…” Y/n slowly nodded, glancing over to Keeley, “An idea.”
“It certainly is,” Keeley nodded back before turning to Shandy, “But I don’t think we’ve got time to pull it together.”
Shandy’s shoulders fell in disappointment, “Oh, that’s true,” she pointed between Keeley and Y/n, “But still, save it for another time.”
“Definitely,” both women replied encouragingly, satisfying Shandy enough to head back to her desk.
Spending so much time at the KJPR office had presented Y/n the opportunity to help Keeley get Shandy adjusted to corporate life. It hadn’t taken more than two days for Y/n to realize it was a task that might kill her. She was carrying on as a favor to Keeley.
“Oh,” Keeley reached across and tapped the back of Y/n’s hand, “How’s it going, having Trent around?”
“Well, he’s catching us on a good week,” Y/n sighed as she began to gather her things. She had to get to Nelson Road and help oversee set-up with Higgins. “To be honest, I haven’t seen much of him, or anyone for that matter. It’s just been me and Higgins rushing in and out of each other’s offices. And Dani knocking on my door at least once a day asking if we should be doing more for Zava’s arrival.”
Keeley smiled as Y/n’s sentences ran on, “Oi, remember to breathe.”
Y/n chuckled, she’d been holding her breath since her first day at Richmond. There was no exhalation in sight.
“I’ll breathe,” she replied, opening the door and looking back to her boss, “Once this is over.”
—————————
The next day, Nelson Road Stadium was bustling as soon as there was light in the sky. Come 10AM, the stands were packed with fans, all awaiting the arrival of the newest Greyhound….
Who hadn’t bothered to show up.
“Where the hell is he?” Rebecca hissed as Keeley, Higgins and Y/n all did double time on their phones, “Leslie! We do have a signed contract, don’t we?”
“Of course,” Higgins replied, “We have an e-signature. That’s legally binding,” his confident smile began to waver, “I think. I’ll make a call.”
Higgins went off with his phone while Keeley nudged Rebecca, “His agent hasn’t heard from him, but she’s tracked his phone, which is currently in Mykonos.”
“If he’s changed his mind again,” Rebecca whispered, “I’m going to look like an absolute asshole.”
“Well, there’s been no sightings of him anywhere,” Y/n continued scouring Twitter, “Doesn’t mean he’s not here…” she paused, flipping perspectives, “But it also doesn’t mean he is.”
“Maybe we can try and cheer them up somehow?” Keeley suggested, scanning the pack of bored reporters surrounding them.
Seated in the row behind them, Shandy popped up, “Do you want me to take my shirt off and run across the pitch?”
As Y/n attempted a deep breath, Rebecca smiled knowingly, “You must be Shandy.”
“Shandy’s shadowing Y/n and I for the day,” Keeley answered excitedly, “To get the hang of things, you know?”
“It’s so nice to finally meet you,” Shandy greeted Rebecca, “I’d love to go for a coffee and pick your brain sometime. Like, how tall are you?”
Y/n glanced up from her phone to catch Rebecca’s confused expression, meeting her boss’s eyes and giving a thin-lipped smile.
“Shandy,” Keeley turned to her employee, “Would you go to concessions and start selling merch at half price?”
“Great idea,” Shandy smiled before back tracking the step she’d taken.
“Keep your shirt on,” Keeley directed sweetly.
“Right, of course,” Shandy nodded, patting Rebecca and Y/n on the shoulders, “Bye, babes.”
“She’s a live one,” Rebecca chuckled before checking her watch.
If anything was said after that, Y/n’s ears didn’t register it. All she could hear were the mumbles and murmurs of the reporters surrounding them. Where’s Zava? Is he ever coming? Did he change his mind? Her mind was working overtime trying to figure out how to dig their way out of this, in case he really had ditched them. She couldn’t stand to have another failure heaped on her shoulders.
Ted’s midwestern accent broke through the noise of her head.
“Hey, guys,” he whispered, taking Higgins’ empty seat, “Are we sure that Zava has the right address? I hate to think he’s sittin’ in the middle of Virginia right now waiting for us, you know?”
Higgins came walking back with an answer, “So, I just talked to legal about Zava’s contract. An e-signature is 100% binding. Tiny wrinkle, instead of signing his name, he signed, ‘You’re Welcome.’”
Y/n pursed her lips, “Lovely.”
“Shit,” Rebecca cursed, her nerves growing by the second, “What are we going to do?”
“Hey, look, superstars play by their own rules,” Ted replied, “Back in ‘98, I waited over three hours for Public Enemy to take the stage of this joint called the Cubby Bear. When a man with a giant clock around his neck is that late, it ain’t about time. He’s makin’ a statement.”
As much as it pained Y/n to take anything real away from another one of Ted’s rambling tales, he had a point. How many asshole celebrities made a crowd wait just to get a little extra ego boost?
“Right,” Rebecca slashed her hands through the air, “I’m calling it. We’re going to go upstairs and figure out what we do next,” she looked to Higgins next, “Leslie, I want you to talk to the crowd and tell them…something.”
“Of course, Rebecca,” Higgins replied calmly, “I got this. Back in uni, my deejay name Damage Control.”
“I didn’t know you deejayed,” Keeley commented.
“I didn’t actually, but I had the name ready if I ever started.”
Y/n was beginning to feel as frantic as Rebecca. “This feels like a great story for a later time,” she said, failing to totally hide her annoyance.
“Shit, right,” Rebecca rose from her seat, “Come on, let’s go.”
As Higgins made for the stage, Ted, Rebecca, Y/n and Keeley hurried past the press, trying to give reassuring grins. Nothing was out of the ordinary. This was the plan.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” Rebecca huffed once they were safe within the building, “Why does anyone put up with this lunatic?”
“Because as humans, we adapt to accommodate genius,” Keeley answered.
“Genius doesn’t outweigh flightiness,” Y/n replied, walking in step with Ted.
“Who is the greatest actor alive?” Keeley continued, “Or was, before he retired?”
In tandem, Rebecca and Y/n both answered, “Daniel Day-Lewis.”
Ted veered off path, “Tony Curtis. You said alive? Jackie Chan. Wait, you said retired? Daniel Day-Lewis.”
“Exactly,” Keeley led them up the stairwell, pausing outside Rebecca’s office door, “When he gets into character, he stays in character and everyone else adapts to him. Did you know, that when he made Lincoln, he actually texted Sally Field as Abraham Lincoln?”
“Well, that’s ridiculous,” Rebecca dismissed the trivia, “Abraham Lincoln couldn’t text.”
“Exactly,” Ted agreed, “Every time he looked down, his hat would fall off.”
“Hey, listen,” Y/n chuckled, wondering if ADD was somehow formulated, bottled and pumped into the air of Nelson Road Stadium, “The distant sound of booing.”
“Look, this Zava might be a genius,” Rebecca passed Keeley to reach for the doorknob, “But he’s definitely a self-absorbed prick.”
Rebecca threw the door open to reveal the prick himself, seated at her desk as if it were his own.
“Your desk is covered in biscuit crumbs,” Zava stated.
Ted, Keeley and Y/n stood behind their boss, sporting various faces of shock.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Rebecca asked, breathless with rage, “We’ve waited two hours for you.”
This did not bother Zava. “Time is a construct,” he shrugged, “Like gender and many of the alphabets.”
“Get out of my chair,” Rebecca demanded, graduating to indignant as she marched towards her desk. She exhaustedly gestured to Ted, “This is your manager.”
“Hey, how you doing?” Ted greeted with his usual cheeriness, “I’m Ted Lasso.”
Zava and his new coach shared a grin with hands extended as they crossed the room. When they met in the middle, Zava slapped his hand to his chest and became gravely serious. Ted awkwardly did the same.
“My leader,” Zava said, “I am an empty vessel filled with gold,” he took hold of Ted’s arm with his free hand, “I am your rock. Mold me.”
Y/n ran the analogy through her head, coming up empty on logic.
Ted gave a low whistle, “Well, hey, if you score goals like you talk, we gonna be just fine, buddy.”
“Right. And this is Keeley Jones and Y/n Y/l/n,” Rebecca said, gesturing to the two women, “They handle all our publicity.”
Keeley was more willing to greet Zava than Y/n, whose steps toward the legendary footballer were justifiably hesitant.
“My queens,” Zava took each of their hands, pressing gentle kisses to both.
“Okay,” Y/n mumbled under her breath and fought the urge to pull away.
“My actions today have made your jobs much more difficult,” he said with, seemingly, genuine sorrow.
“No,” Keeley shook her head, “Don’t worry about it. No such thing as bad press, right?”
“My integrity disallows me to agree with that statement,” Zava replied with a warm smile.
“But there is such a thing as angry fans,” Y/n politely smiled, wondering how long she had to hold the man’s hand. She could hear Rebecca mumbling some curses under her breath as well.
From behind them, Higgins came through the door with Shandy in tow, going on about something related to Zava’s food allergies. They both froze as they registered the sight in front of them.
“You’re here,” Higgins gaped.
Zava nodded, “And you are there.”
“And this is Leslie Higgins,” Rebecca introduced, “Our director of football.”
“Ah,” Zava sighed, placing a hand on each side of Higgins’ face and pressing his forehead to his. He lowered his voice to a whisper, “You are the glue.”
The room stood in confused anticipation.
“Thank you very much,” Higgins replied. Out of the entire group, Ted was the only one still excited.
“I will go see the team now,” Zava announced, slapping Higgins cheek and heading down the stairs.
Rebecca stretched her arms out and yelled, “Do you even know where you’re going?”
“I do not,” Zava called back, yet kept walking.
Ted, Higgins, Shandy and Keeley looked back to Rebecca, Zava’s mere presence rendering them all speechless. Y/n was the only one matching Rebecca’s frown.
“Are you kiddin’ me?” Ted muttered, “Wowie zowie. You know what, maybe I oughta tag along in case he gets nervous. Seems like he can be a little bit of a wallflower.”
“Great,” Rebecca’s hands slapped against her sides, “And now I’m in a rush. Leslie, tell me, how did the damage control go?”
“Oh, it was a mess,” Shandy answered for the man, “But he was adorable.”
“Oh, thank you,” Higgins nodded, looking back to Rebecca and pointing behind him, “Who is this?”
Keeley came to stand at Shandy’s side, “This is Shandy, we work together. And she’s a great friend of mine.”
“Ah,” Higgins smiled knowingly, all the pieces falling together suddenly.
“Right, I’m off,” Rebecca said, gathering her purse and crossing the room. She paused at Y/n’s side, “If you can try and get His Mightiness to pose for a few pictures on the pitch, it would be appreciated.”
Y/n sighed, “No promises.”
Rebecca left on her unknown mission, Shandy and Keeley went on their way back to the KJPR office and Higgins went to oversee teardown. Y/n went back to the pitch, where the fans were packing it in and the reporters had all but left. She found the staff photographer and asked him to head to the practice pitch while she went and collected Zava.
Y/n knocked on the coach’s office and entered, pausing beside Trent Crimm in the adjoining room, “Can I borrow Zava for a few minutes?”
“Just missed him,” Roy replied.
“For the day?” Y/n raised an eyebrow.
“Yep,” Coach Beard nodded, him, Roy and Ted staring at something on their whiteboard.
“He just walked in here,” Y/n gestured from the door through the office, “Said his ‘hellos’ and’s just…done?”
“Seems that way, yeah,” Ted replied, somewhere between a smile and a straight line.
Y/n could only imagine what her face looked like, how her frayed nerves and barely concealed frustration were becoming more obvious by the second. She looked to Trent Crimm, silently begging him to tell her she wasn’t the only one who disapproved of the star footballer’s behavior. Trent replied with a reserved shrug and a stretch of his lips.
“Beautiful,” Y/n smiled as best she could, “If anyone needs me,” she turned on her heel and walked back out the door, “My head will be embedded in the drywall.”
—————————
It was a few days later and the media frenzy still hadn’t died down around both Zava’s arrival and his lack of public appearance. Y/n was fielding call after call from publications, requesting one-on-one interviews with the legend or asking when his first presser would take place or asking if the reason he didn’t show up was because he was having doubts about joining Richmond…
Better yet, Zava didn’t feel it necessary to speak to anyone.
He had, however, taken over the locker room. Four lockers had been reserved just for him plus a recliner. He’d gotten the boys to do group meditation each morning. He had the whole team eating out of the palm of his hand and to be honest, Y/n couldn’t understand why.
Thus, with Zava occupied, the focus shifted to the other Greyhounds. Keeley and Shandy had arrived to discuss interviews with some of the other players. Y/n had calls scheduled all afternoon, mostly about Zava, but also regarding a few potential endorsement deals for the boys. She was thankful for the solitude and her cheeks were pleased not to fake a smile around Shandy for the afternoon.
“Oh,” she said as she clocked Roy Kent passing her office, “Coach Kent.”
Roy reversed course and paused in her doorway, “Yeah?”
“Would you mind checking in with the guys downstairs? Keeley’s with them now,” Y/n asked, unable to leave her desk, “I would, but,” she gestured to her open laptop, a horde of new emails having just been delivered.
“Fine,” Roy replied, deadpan as ever before pausing, “You said Keeley’s with them?”
Y/n took stock of his expression, though it was nearly impossible to find whatever emotion he was actually feeling. She hadn’t seen the man smile once since she’d been at Richmond.
“Mm-hm,” she nodded.
He stayed silent, perhaps mentally preparing himself for the interaction, before nodding to Y/n once more.
“Uh, Roy,” Y/n called him back once more, fiddling with her pen, “Zava…he’s…worth it, right?”
Roy’s brows furrowed deeper, “What do you mean?”
“The fifteen calls I’ve been on today,” Y/n expanded, “The welcome event we had to cancel. The inevitable comments we’re going to have to walk back,” she paused, “He’s worth it?”
“Fuck yeah,” Roy shrugged, “Absolutely.”
While the two of them were barely acquainted, Y/n trusted Roy’s opinion. He knew football better than anyone else in the building. If he thought the headache was a worthy price to pay for victory, she’d learn to tolerate whatever chaos Zava caused.
—————————
Finally, the day of Richmond’s much anticipated match came around.
Upon arrival, Y/n made a point of confirming that His Majesty was actually on the premises, to which she was told he was in the locker room.
“Afternoon, all,” she greeted Rebecca, Higgins and Keeley as she slid into her seat.
“He is here, correct?” Rebecca asked, already a step ahead.
“There has been a sighting,” Y/n replied, a hint of a tired smile playing at her lips, “It’s packed. Did we sell out?”
“Just about,” Higgins answered excitedly, “I can barely feel my hands.”
Y/n settled next to Rebecca just as the first half kicked off. She clocked Zava in the middle of the field, in conversation with Jamie, before the two separated. Jamie kicked the ball to Zava, unremarkably, and Zava slammed his foot against it, sending it soaring across the field and into the goal.
The first fifteen seconds of the match and the crowd was already on their feet, deafening screams filling the stadium.
As Y/n celebrated with Rebecca, Higgins and Keeley, she thought back to Roy’s words earlier in the week.
“Alright,” she mumbled to herself, “Worth it.”
—————————
What Zava brought to Richmond wasn’t just talent, it was magic.
With each match they won, their standings in the Premier League went up and up. The entire city was buzzing, thrumming, with excitement every weekend they Greyhounds were on the pitch.
Not only that, but Y/n was getting more and more invested in the game herself. She paid closer attention to the players, predicting possible moves before they made them, and jumping to her feet when they scored. The inkling of pride she’d felt at the Chelsea match was beginning to bloom, and she found herself starting looking forward to spending weekends in the owner’s box with Rebecca, Higgins and Keeley.
It was the win against Brentford that cemented their six-game win streak, leaving the entire team, on and off the pitch, ecstatic.
After the match, Y/n slipped into her office, grabbing her laptop to take home and return a few emails.
“Oh, Y/n,” a voice called down the hall. Y/n looked up and saw it belonged to Sam.
“Hey,” she greeted, “Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” he grinned, “Listen, tomorrow night, I’ve invited everyone to the restaurant for a little preview. I would really love it if you could come.”
Y/n had successfully dodged every post-match invitation the boys had thrown at her. Be it not feeling well or extra work or a call from back home she had to take from some relative…her excuses had run dry. More importantly, she felt like a terrible person each time she had to leave Sam, almost always the inviter, disappointed.
If everyone was invited, it was more or less a work get-together. It wasn’t like it was just friends or a one-on-one hang.
“Sure,” Y/n conceded, “Sounds great.”
Sam’s smile broadened with the answer, making his hands into victorious fists. “I’ll send you the address.”
“Can’t wait,” Y/n replied, lying just one more time.
—————————
The next night, Ola’s was filled for the very first time.
All of the Greyhounds, the coaches and a few plus-ones were seated and partaking in the Nigerian cuisine Sam had ushered into Richmond. The setting was laid-back, but everyone was still riding the high of their win against Brentford.
Y/n had mostly stuck with Rebecca and Keeley at the bar, eventually bouncing around to a few of the players. While she was still reserved, the team and her had gotten to know each other more over the past six weeks.
“Sam,” Y/n finally caught the arm of the restauranteur, “This is incredible.”
“Oh, thank you,” Sam pressed his palm to his heart, “I’m so glad you are enjoying yourself,” he leaned in and lowered his voice, “To be honest, I was a little nervous what you all might think.”
Y/n waved off his concern, a glass of wine in her other hand, “It’s a smash. Be proud of yourself.”
“Thank you,” Sam smiled once more before leaving to go and check on another order.
Y/n paused and took stock of her surroundings, watching the cheerful conversations around her. Her gaze fell on a table in the corner of the second room, where Jamie was sitting by himself, looking particularly unhappy. Curiosity got the better of her and she made her way over.
Jamie looked up as Y/n approached. She didn’t say anything, so he decided to. “What’s that face?”
Y/n’s eyebrows remained scrunched, “I’m just trying to figure out why you’re pouting when you’re on a six-game streak.”
“I’m not-“ Jamie caught himself, he knew he wasn’t exactly being subtle. Shaking his head, he looked back down at his untouched plate, “It’s nothing.”
A loud laugh bounced off the walls, drawing Y/n’s attention down the line of tables to see it belonged to Zava. She didn’t miss how Jamie’s frown intensified at the sound.
“Let me guess,” she sighed, settling on the edge of the booth, “You’re not a member of the fan club.”
Jamie didn’t answer, glumly fidgeting with one of his rings instead. Y/n recalled that during one of their last games, Zava had stolen a goal from him. Jamie had yet to score a single one so far in the season.
“If it’s any consolation,” Y/n swirled the wine in her glass, “I can’t say I’m president of it either.”
Jamie raised an eyebrow at her, his interest peaked, “Yeah?”
“Aside from the fact that he’s made my job a thousand times harder,” Y/n complained, “I guess I just don’t…get him? I’ve caught the tail end of some of his locker room motivational speeches. It’s like he knows where he’s going the first few seconds and then takes his hands off the wheel for the last five.”
Jamie laughed, the first time he’s smiled all night. “You didn’t catch the one yesterday. Car went off a fuckin’ cliff.”
Y/n chuckled, covering her mouth to dampen the sound. “It’s like he loves to hear himself talk but doesn’t actually listen to anything he says…” Y/n grasped the air and twisted it, “But also believes he’s a prophet?”
Jamie shook his head with a smirk, thankful someone else could see what he saw.
“Still,” Y/n shrugged, her eyes scanning the Greyhounds around them, “He’s taking you guys to the top. That’s gotta feel good.”
Jamie’s smile straightened back out and he dragged his teeth over his bottom lip.
“Well, I’m sorry,” Y/n chuckled lightly, “Number 4’s a pretty big improvement from 20.”
“Yeah, but look how he’s doing it,” Jamie complained, “Stealing goals, prancing ‘round the field like some show pony-“
Y/n snorted into her glass, thankful she had yet to take a sip.
“What?” Jamie asked.
“I’m sorry,” Y/n smiled, really trying not to laugh, “It’s just when I started the job, I decided to look up some Youtube videos of the team. And I’m remembering this one hotshot player who never passed the ball to his teammates and did all these ridiculous things like rip his shirt off whenever he made a goal or chant his own name with the crowd…”
Jamie stiffened, he hadn’t expected the callback to his past.
“Whatever,” Jamie brushed it off, “Point is, things were fine without him and-“
“And I don’t think anyone’s less of a Jamie Tartt-head just because Zava Fever’s going around,” Y/n finished for him. She’d watched Jamie play for weeks now, she knew how talented he was. The infatuation with Zava would pass, but Jamie could build a legacy that lasted.
Jamie’s eyes, somewhat lost, tracked upwards to meet Y/n’s. One look told him that she truly meant what she said.
“Thanks,” Jamie nodded.
Y/n nodded, she hadn’t intended to have such an involved conversation, but Jamie was a neutral party. She didn’t feel one way or the other about him. Plus, he was the only other person who could admit to Zava having flaws.
“But just so we’re clear,” Jamie leaned over slightly, lowering his voice, “Still a prick.”
“Oh,” Y/n’s brow creased, “Definitely.”
They shared another hushed laugh.
“Hey, guys,” Shandy came out from around the corner and greeted them.
Jamie and Y/n both welcomed her, but after seven weeks working side by side with Shandy, Y/n was running out of enthusiasm to muster up.
“So, Jamie,” Shandy leaned against the corner wall, “Wanted to see if I could recruit you for this little Bantr campaign we’re running.”
Y/n recalled Keeley mentioning the commercial her and Shandy would be shooting that week. Some of the Greyhounds would be featured anonymously to try and entice people to sign up.
“I’ll leave you two to talk,” Y/n politely smiled, finishing the last of her wine and leaving the glass, “Have a good night.”
“See ya,” Jamie nodded, shooting her a smile before returning to the conversation with Shandy.
Y/n made the rounds saying goodbye before heading out, stepping out onto the London street corner. There was enough nightlife around that she wouldn’t have trouble catching a cab.
“Hey, Y/n.”
She turned to see Ted standing a few feet away from her. “Hi,” she replied, they had hardly interacted all night, “Are you waiting for a cab?”
“Oh, no,” Ted shifted awkwardly, pointing back to the restaurant, “I’m, uh, waitin’ on someone.”
Y/n understood, unwilling to dig any deeper into the statement, “Got it.”
“Yeah,” Ted mumbled under his breath before perking back up, “You have a good time?”
“Yeah,” Y/n nodded.
“Good,” Ted smiled, “It’s good to see you gettin’ out of the office, hangin’ out with everybody.”
“Well, I mean,” Y/n chuckled awkwardly, “I think Sam just invited me because he had to. It’s not like it was a personal thing.”
Over the last few weeks, Ted had gotten to observe Y/n quite a bit. She stayed in her office as much as possible, she always took lunch on her own and the only thing she wanted to contribute to the conversation was small talk. She was removed and she wanted it to stay that way.
Ted knew there was a reason, though he wasn’t going to push to unearth it. But for Y/n to come out after hours with the team, to smile and laugh and let herself have a good time, it meant something. Even if she couldn’t see it.
“Okay,” Ted nodded, letting her think whatever she needed to think, “Well, do you need a ride home?”
“Oh, no,” Y/n replied, spotting a cab coming down the road and flagging it down, “I’m good. I’ll see you later.”
Ted smiled, sticking up a hand and waving as she climbed into the cab. If Y/n wanted to keep herself closed off from the Greyhounds, that was fine.
They could wait her out.
————
Heartfirst Taglist: @lalla-04p @optimisticsandwichgladiator @makingmunson94 @taytaylala12 @storysimp @sokkigarden @lightninginab0ttle @poohkie90 @alipap3 @verra-nerevarine @shineforever19 @spaceagechimera @burnafter-reading @qardasngan @cyberpvnk-enthusiast @sogoodtoheritsvicious @buckybarnex @angelsunflxwer @blueanfield @thewildestwonderland @sabelcities
#ted lasso fic#ted lasso fanfiction#ted lasso fanfic#ted lasso imagine#jamie tartt x reader#keeley jones x reader#rebecca welton x reader#ted lasso x reader#heartfirst
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Meet me in the afterglow
Jamie Tartt x f!reader
Words: 2,7k
Warnings: language, a bit of angst (with a happy ending this time)
A/n: part 2 for Tell me that I’m all you want 🫢
Jamie has never been more excited for the pre-season. The weather in London is delightful today, the sun is shining and the temperature is at that perfect level of warmth where it doesn’t feel too hot. He’s back at Nelson Road Stadium, right where he belongs. No funny business this year. Jamie’s smiling cheerfully as he’s walking down the very familiar corridors, holding a cup holder with two cups of coffee in his hand. He strides into your office, and you smile brightly at him, putting your work aside and giving Jamie your full attention. You happily slip back into your routine.
Jamie had barely seen you during the off-season. If you weren’t working, you were somewhere away with Jason. You’d been to, like, four different countries in five weeks, living your best life. Vacation definitely suits you – you look so radiant and well-rested. Your hair is wavier than usual, your skin is glowing, and your posture is relaxed. Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?
“I’ve missed this,” you say after fifteen minutes of chatter and giggles, and Jamie grins at you. “Almost as much as I missed this,” you add, smugly bringing the coffee cup to your lips. Jamie rolls his eyes but laughs nevertheless. God, he missed this too.
The blissful happiness doesn’t last long. Jamie doesn’t care much about what people say on the Internet, even if it’s everyone predicting that Richmond will get relegated again because it’s just poop-eh, yeah?
But then there’s something else.
“Did you know that Roy and Keeley broke up?” Jamie all but burst into your office.
You mimic zipping your mouth and throwing away the key.
“Oh, come on!” Jamie flops on the chair in front of you and sighs dramatically.
You shrug, unaffected. “How’s Roy doing?”
“Well, I promised not to say anything either!” Jamie crosses his arms determinedly.
Jamie doesn’t know whether it’s a lawyer thing or just a you thing, but he’s pretty sure that one stern look from you can make him spill all of his deepest secrets. So, predictably, you just raise one eyebrow, and it’s enough convincing for him to start talking.
After a short conversation, you agree that it’s a sad turn of events because Roy and Keeley were really good together.
“You and Jason are good?” Jamie asks because it feels fitting. He’s somewhat made peace with the fact that you’re in love with someone else. As long as you’re happy.
“Yeah, we’re good,” you smile.
It only gets worse from there.
Jamie is in your office the first thing after he hears that Zava might be joining the team because if someone knew anything about signing a new player, that would be you. You say that it’s just something that Rebecca wants, but it is very unlikely to happen. That is, until it does.
“Who the fuck signs a contract with ‘you’re welcome’?!”
Usually Jamie doesn’t like it when you’re mad, but nothing is more comforting for him than knowing that he has your support in his disliking for Zava. He becomes almost a permanent resident at your office. Every day, it’s “Zava this” and “Zava that”. Reminds you of the time when Roy first rejoined Richmond as a coach and refused to coach Jamie…
On the upside, Richmond is on a four-week winning streak. Like Zava or not, you’ve gotta admit that he is a hella good player. Before you can even finish that sentence out loud, the look on Jamie’s face is one of full-on betrayal. You roll your eyes, the fragile male ego.
“At least I'm still your favorite player,” Jamie declares self-assuredly.
“I'm sorry, at what point did I ever say that you are my favorite player?” you sneer at him, crossing your arms.
“It’s implied!”
“Aah,” you nod in faux agreement.
“So who is it then? It can’t be Zava.” Jamie will jump off a cliff.
“Lewandowski.”
Jamie shrugs, “Fair enough, he’s fucking great. I can be second after him.”
“See, that’s funny, because I don’t remember saying that you’re my second favorite either,” you say with an amused smile on your face.
“Oh, fuck off!”
Things haven’t been going really well for Richmond ever since that match against West Ham, they haven’t won a match for four weeks now. Needless to say, it was a little bit depressing. There is something else bothering Jamie, though. You’ve been acting weird lately, distant. You weren’t at the match last week, you told Jamie you couldn't hang out twice in one week, and when the third time you finally agreed, it seemed like your mind was somewhere else the whole evening. He gets that you want to spend time with your boyfriend, but Jamie wants some scraps of your time too! It takes you hours to reply to his texts, and even when he comes to your office during the day, it feels like even having a simple conversation with Jamie costs you effort. You just seem tired in general.
Jamie has been quietly sitting in your office for five minutes, waiting for you to finish whatever it is you are so busy doing. Not knowing what to do, he takes your coffee cup and takes a sip.
He grimaces in disgust. “What is this?!”
“Triple espresso,” you answer without looking away from your laptop.
No milk, no syrups, no joy, nothing.
“That’s disgusting.”
“Then don’t drink it,” you snatch the cup back.
“Not getting enough sleep?” Jamie smirks and wiggles his eyebrows at you.
The look on your face just screams that you don’t find it funny one bit and can’t wait to be done with this conversation.
Jamie’s shoulders slump, “Are you mad at me?”
“For what, hurting my coffee’s feelings?”
“I don’t know! But you’ve been acting weird! You always say you’re busy, you don’t reply to my texts, you don’t make fun of my outfit choices, and I wore a jacket with shorts yesterday.”
“The fact that you know that it’s something I would make fun of you for means that my job here is done.”
“It was raining for the whole day two days in a row, and you didn’t even complain!”
“It’s London, it’s always raining.”
“And you always complain!” He’s got a point there.
Jamie looks genuinely worried, and you didn't mean to upset him at all. You sigh weary. “It’s not you. It’s just– I needed some me-time.” Jamie keeps looking at you, waiting for you to continue. “Jason and I broke up.”
Well, that was unexpected. Jamie doesn’t really know what to say. His previous attempt at post-breakup comforting wasn’t exactly successful.
“What happened?”
“Nothing happened,” you say apathetically. “Sometimes people are just not right for each other.”
“I thought you guys were great.”
“Yeah, me too,” there’s a very bittersweet tone to your voice.
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because I don’t wanna talk about it.”
Jamie gets the hint. There’s only one thing that he wants to know anyway. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” That doesn’t sound very convincing even for yourself, and judging by Jamie’s skeptical look, it doesn’t for him either. “I will be,” you rectify, feeling a lot more sincere now.
His own selfish feelings aside, Jamie never really wished for you and Jason to break up (well, maybe except for the first, like, two weeks), and with you clearly being upset about it, Jamie doesn’t have it in him to feel pleased or hopeful about the fact. What you need right now is a friend, and that’s exactly what he’s going to be.
It’s fascinating how healing a good girls night can be because a week and two hours of screaming Taylor Swift songs later, you were terribly hungover but feeling like a whole new person. Luckily for you, your boss was one of the said girls, so after lunch, the two of you decided that there was no work that required your immediate attention and was worth all that suffering and, with a clear conscience, went home.
The loss against Man City was pretty bad. Especially considering that Zava left the team. And the sport in general… Jamie wasn’t so upset about this, but you weren’t particularly excited about all the paperwork that it left you with. Richmond hadn’t won a match in nine weeks, which was pretty discouraging too. You even invited Jamie for dinner after another lost match to cheer him up a little bit.
Then finally, a miracle happened, and Ted “came up” with some “total football” thing, which, once they had figured it out, seemed to work really well for the team. After they won a match again for the first time, Jamie invited you for a celebratory dinner, on which he cheated because he ordered takeout instead of cooking. You didn’t really mind, though, because Jamie’s cooking abilities are limited to a short list of dishes that he can make himself and a bit longer list of dishes that he can make if you tell him what to do, and you didn't feel like playing Nigella.
Richmond is on a winning streak, and the team’s spirit is exceptionally high. Jamie has been on his best game too, which he can admit that he has Roy to thank for, because he is mature like that now. Life has been really good lately.
The practice is over, and Jamie’s on his way to go and pester you when he bumps into Keeley in the hallway.
“Jamie!” She doesn’t appear to be as surprised to see him. “Walk with me.” She wraps her arm around his and starts leading him down the hall.
“You know that (Y/n) helps me out with the legal stuff in the firm, right?”
“Yeah.” Jamie’s not sure where this is going.
“So yesterday I asked her to come to this meeting with me ‘cause we were signing with that one guy. And he had his lawyer with him too, and he was, like, really hot. The lawyer, not the guy. And he was totally into (Y/n) too. I didn’t even know you could make legal terms sound so sexy…”
Keeley glances at Jamie, who resembles a kicked puppy at the moment. “I’m telling you all of this because you better put your big boy pants on and ask her out before somebody else does. Again.”
Jamie doesn’t even feel like asking how and how long she’s known, he just nods at her, and she gives him that sweet smile of hers and leaves.
It’s been almost three months since you and Jason broke up. Jamie’s been more than happy to be the one you spend your free time with again, and he’s been content with how things are between you enough to not want to risk it. He hasn’t seen you being really interested in someone anyway, but he’s seen people being interested in you. Evidently, it was just a matter of time before someone caught your attention too.
Jamie goes directly to your office, and the first thing that he notices is a big bouquet of flowers on your desk. Jason stopped renewing them a few weeks after your breakup, so it’s gotta be from someone else.
“Nice flowers,” Jamie announces his presence in the room. “Who are they from?”
“Just some guy I met at Keeley's meeting yesterday,” you say noncommittally.
So it is him. “Why is he sending you flowers?”
“Well, I don’t know for sure, but my guess is that he wants to ask me out.” You look pleased.
It’s now or never. “Don't go out with him,” he blurts.
You frown. “What?”
“Don’t go out with him,” he repeats with more conviction this time. “Go out with me.”
You contemplate him for a moment. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?” Jamie hadn’t really thought it through.
“Just let it go, Jamie,” you say insistently.
“The fuck I will!” There’s no going back now. “I want this. You.” That comes out a bit desperate.
“Right,” you scoff.
Now it’s Jamie’s turn to frown, “What?”
“For fuck’s sake, Jamie!” Even with your patience, there's a limit. “You only wanted me ‘cause you couldn’t fucking have me, which is somehow even worse than if you never wanted me at all.” You glower at him. “And now again. I’m not some fucking trophy for you to want just because someone else does!”
Jamie is completely stunned, just sitting there with his mouth open, not being able to come up with a single sensible thing to say.
Your attention turns to Higgins peeking through the door frame, “(Y/n), I need your help with something.” You have never been more grateful to see him.
“I’ll be right with you,” you nod at him, smiling. He reads the room and decides not to wait on you here.
When Higgins disappears from your view, you turn back to Jamie, “We have a good thing here. Let’s not ruin it.” With that, you get up and walk away.
You haven’t seen Jamie since your little talk yesterday. This is probably for the better because you needed some space after everything. You’re done with your work for the day, but instead of going home, you’re sitting in one of the thousands of seats at the empty stadium, staring at nothing in particular and a lot going on in your mind. The sunset is absolutely stunning today. The sky is colored with all kinds of shades of red, orange, and pink, illuminated beautifully by the afterglow of the sun.
You see in your peripheral vision that someone is walking towards you, and the clashing colors of the clothes that someone is wearing are enough for you to know exactly who this is.
Jamie takes the seat next to you. You just sit there in silence for a minute before he finally speaks up.
“You were wrong, you know,” he starts softly. “I’ve always wanted you. It’s only when I couldn’t have you that I realized it. I’m sorry I was an idiot. Shouldn’t have taken me so long.”
You keep staring forward, so he continues.
“You are not a trophy, but you are my best friend. It means more to me than you know, and I didn’t wanna risk losing it. But then Keeley told me about that guy, and I thought I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn’t say something.”
You finally turn to look at him. Jamie’s looking at you with those puppy dog eyes of his, which makes it’s impossible to be mad at him. You give him a small smile. “You wouldn’t lose me.” He smiles too.
It gives Jamie the courage that he’s been looking for, and he gently takes your hand in both of his. “Give me a chance. Just one date. And if you hate it, I swear I’ll never bring this up ever again.”
You study him for a moment, and his eyes look so hopeful. “Alright, Jamie Tartt,” you smile at him. “Make it worth my while.”
Winning the last match of the season, Richmond finishes the season in second place. Not bad for a Premier League comeback. Today’s celebration is Ted’s last day with the team. He sure as hell will be missed, but today is not about sad farewells – it’s about appreciating the people around you and everything that awaits you in the future.
Ola’s is filled with music, laughter, and joy. Jamie looks around the room: Dani is having a drinking contest with Beard, Richard and Jan Mass are having a passionate debate about something, Ted is spinning Rebecca in the rhythm of Never Gonna Give You Up, surrounded by Keeley and the rest of the players cheering and dancing next to them. Like one big and very happy family.
Jamie is pulled out of his thoughts by the movement in front of him and the sound of glasses being put on the wooden table. Then you pull him up by his arm and start dragging him with you towards the dancing crowd with a carefree smile. Jamie eagerly takes your hand in his and lifts it above you, making you twirl. You laugh and give him a quick kiss on the lips. Life has never been better.
A/N: did i sneak in the name of the songs in the most literal corniest way? yes, and what about it.
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DISTRACTIONS IV | CATCHING FEELINGS
pairing: jamie tartt x f!reader (ted lasso)
rating: T
word count: 2,468
summary: you and jamie are a couple...a couple of besties with benefits! that’s definitely all this is.
A/N: very excited about this one - even though its a little shorter! also wanted to let you all know since i have chapters planned out almost through the end of the season, i have this idea of revisiting chapters and writing “missing scenes” to fill some gaps, like within this one which you’ll see. let me know if you’d be into that?
distractions masterlist | previous chapter
After Jamie showed up at your door the evening following their loss to West Ham, you did not stop sleeping together. Two nights turned into three, and then into four. Once you passed five, you decided to upgrade your relationship to friends with benefits status. Jamie was honestly happy that meant you considered him a friend.
The two of you usually hooked up after Richmond lost a game, which had unfortunately been happening a lot as of late. Sometimes Jamie would find you after a training session with Roy to relieve some tension. Occasionally you went to Jamie when you were feeling anxious about work or something reminded you of Mason. And while the team mourned the loss of Zava after he announced his retirement, Jamie was the happiest you’d ever seen him. (You think you might have had the best sex of your life that night.)
At some point, you’d added other locations to your repertoire, other than your bedroom and sometimes your shower. On rare occasions you’d meet up in your office for a quickie, or even Jamie’s car in the parking lot after everyone had left when you couldn’t wait to get home. Only once had you tried to spend the night at Jamie’s, but at the crack of dawn, Roy was banging on his door for another practice. That was the last time you did that.
You had to admit, you got a thrill out of sneaking around. You’d gotten less skittish at the office, sharing secret looks with Jamie during practices. Rebecca was still the only one who knew. A week into your new arrangement, she’d inquired about your situation, which you explained. She still seemed weary, but less so because of Jamie and more so because she didn’t think a casual relationship was the best idea. If you’d asked yourself a year ago, you would have agreed. But now, you kind of enjoyed the lack of pressure surrounding your dynamic. Jamie was obviously very skilled when it came to sex, but he was also fun to be around. Your pillow talk conversations were often the highlights of your day. You’d talk about your days and vent when you’d need to. Sometimes you’d get little nuggets about Jamie’s life and childhood, and you’d let him in on some details about your life as well. The more you got to know him, the more you liked him.
As a friend of course. Rebecca also warned you that if feelings got involved in your situation, things could get messy. But you weren’t worried about it. Sure, you and Jamie playfully flirt from time to time, but you’d do that around the office in plain sight too. It was just Jamie’s thing. This dynamic you had was just innocent, casual fun. That’s what you two agreed to and that's what you wanted.
Jamie was also enjoying your arrangement. Unbeknownst to you, from the second he saw you, he’d found you appealing. Though, when he’d found out you were working for the team, he thought any chance of hooking up with you was off the table. Then he assumed you were seeing Sam, and he would absolutely never interfere with one of his best mate’s relationship. But when he’d found out you were available, he’d crumbled under the pressure. He got to know you a little bit, which made it harder to initiate anything. That was until you initiated it that night in his car and he couldn’t have been more thrilled. He honestly hadn’t expected it to go further than that night, but he couldn’t resist you. You were addictive, and extremely good at distracting him. Not just when you were fucking - which was mind-blowing - but also during the in-between moments when you’d whisper to each other under the sheets.Your mere presence was so soothing, he wished he could be enraptured in it all the time.
That’s honestly the worst part of your deal; that it was secret and he couldn’t just wrap you up and listen to you breathe whenever he felt anxious.
The fact that you have such a hold on him only adds to his anxiousness, though. He knows that your relationship is strictly sexual, but platonic, and he’s not worried about wanting more than that. He knew he wasn’t exactly boyfriend material, and wasn’t sure if relationships were something he wanted, at least at this point in his life. But he couldn’t help being attached to you. No one’s ever been so kind to him; so attentive and gentle. So, while your arrangement may be fleeting, he wanted to soak up the affection while he could.
That’s why he feels so off when he doesn't see you around the club today.
The team had an early training time, so when he didn’t see you before, he figured you probably just hadn’t arrived yet. But then he didn’t see you around lunch time either. He nonchalantly asked Sam if he’d heard from you, as he spotted him while he lifted weights, but his friend hadn’t heard from you either. That didn’t sit right with him.
He tried texting you after that, not once but twice, but you didn’t answer. That was also out of character. He knew it bothered you when there were red bubbles over your apps, but you hadn’t even read the text.
As a last ditch effort, he even found himself asking Colin or Isaac if they knew anything but of course they didn’t.
Jamie was nervously staring at your text chain as he walked out of the locker room at the end of the day. Still nothing. Not looking at where he was going, he ends up running straight into Rebecca. He apologizes distractedly before taking another step towards the door, when she calls out to him.
“She’s at home.” Jamie looks at her with a quirked eyebrow, so she clarifies by saying your name. “She called in sick so I gave her the day off.”
Though he’s grateful for the information, he fidgets nervously, “How did you…”
“She told me about you two, or rather I figured it out. But I haven’t said a word to anyone else,” she explains reassuringly, “Plus you’ve been wandering around like a lost puppy all day. Wasn’t hard to guess why.”
Jamie flushes, but smiles tightly in thanks before wishing his boss a goodnight. On his way to run some spur of the moment errands, he wonders what kind of things you’ve told Rebecca.
As the sun sets for the night, you’re finally forcing yourself out of bed.
You weren’t sick sick. You were on your period, and this morning you’d woken up with a migraine and some of the worst cramps you’ve had in a while. It wasn’t uncommon for you to feel this bad every couple of months, but when it got this severe, there was no way you could function as a human being. So you made yourself persevere through the pain for a few moments to call Rebecca and explain the situation at hand. She was quick to suggest you stay home, and while you weren’t surprised, you still adored her for understanding. Best boss ever.
When your pain is bad, you can only stomach so much food, so you just pick on things like crackers to hold you over. Now that it was nearing dinner time, and your headache had finally subsided, you were ravenous. You quickly search for nearby pizza places and select the first thing that comes up on Google and place a delivery order.
While you wait, you curl up with a blanket on your couch and turn on one of your favorite Grey’s Anatomy episodes. You’re only ten minutes in when there’s a knock on your door. You begrudgingly stand up, impressed that your pizza had come so fast. When you pull the door open, you instead find Jamie standing there with a bag of groceries.
“You’re not pizza.”
Jamie narrows his eyes at you, “And you don’t look sick.”
Your shoulders sag, “Rebecca told you?”
Jamie nods, “Yeah, I was worried. Wanted to make sure you were okay.”
Your heart warms. You pull your door open wider, and he doesn’t hesitate to enter.
“I’m sorry I worried you,” you shove your hands in your sweatshirt pocket awkwardly, “I’m actually not technically sick, just on my period, which I’m sure is exactly what you want to hear.”
Jamie surprises you by not visibly reacting to your admission.
“Damn, I wish I’d known that, otherwise I would have picked up different things.” he draws your attention back to the paper grocery bag in his hands as he sets it on your coffee table. He starts pulling out items as he lists them off, “I got you some soup, some tissues, a shit-ton of different medicines because I didn’t know what kind of sick you were. Some gummy bears, but that’s just cause I know you like those.”
You try not to be overwhelmed by his thoughtfulness, “Aw, Jamie, you didn’t have to do that.”
He shrugs, not making direct eye contact, “Sorry most of it's not very helpful. Although, this might still work?” He pulls one last thing from the brown brag: a carton of Neapolitan ice cream.
You gasp, immediately taking the item into your hands. “You are a saint. I will be saving this for later.”
Jamie smiles as he follows you to the kitchen where you transfer the ice cream to the freezer. It's at this moment he also realizes you’re wearing one of his Richmond sweatshirts he must’ve left behind one night. He keeps this realization to himself.
“D’you say you ordered pizza?”
“Yeah. You’re welcome to stay if you want, there’ll be plenty.
“Where from?”
“Uhh,” you scratch your head trying to recall the name of the place, “Pizzeria Pellegrini, I think?”
Jamie groans, “That place is rubbish, you should have ordered from Lucia’s.”
For some reason, a small smile makes its way on your face, “I’m sorry I didn’t consult you first, Mr. Pizza Expert.”
“Well, now you know,” Jamie pulls out his phone and begins tapping up a storm.
“Whatcha doing?”
“Ordering us a pizza from Lucia’s. You like pepperoni, right?”
“Jamie,” you gasp exaggeratedly, “I already ordered one. It will be here any minute.”
“Well, now you’ll have two, so save room. I’ll get express delivery. I need you to try both so you know which is superior.” he snickers and you roll your eyes, “Anything else I should get?”
You shake your head amusedly, but still ask, “Can you get me a side of ranch, please?”
Jamie scoffs, “Aren’t you getting some with your first order?”
Okay, he knows you too well.
“Yeah, but every restaurant has a specific ranch. I can’t have Lucia pizza with Pellegrini ranch, that’s insane.”
He gives you a crazy look, “No, I think you’re insane.”
“Look, I’m right and you’re just going to have to deal with it.”
Jamie shakes his head, but bites back a laugh. He orders you a pepperoni pizza with extra ranch.
As you lead him back to the couch, you catch him up on your evening plans of binging Grey’s.
“But we don’t have to watch if you don’t want to. We can watch something else, or…”
Jamie sits beside you on the couch and shrugs, “You’re the one feeling like shit, we can do whatever you want.”
“Alright, then buckle up, Tartt,” you chuckle, pressing play on the remote.
As the episode continues, Jamie asks questions about what is happening and who the characters are. Normally, you’d be annoyed with the constant talking over the show, but you like that he seems genuinely interested. So you fill him in on what has happened in the episode so far, and some backstory for the characters.
“Wait so there’s a bomb in that person’s body?” “Yup.” And then he’s hooked.
Both of your pizzas arrive at different points during the two-part episode, and you give in and admit his pizza place is better. You even let him share your ranch dressing. However, your eyes widen in horror when he goes to dip a piece of Lucia’s pizza into Pellegrini’s ranch.
“What the hell are you doing?” you exclaim, sitting up slightly.
“I’m going to prove your theory wrong,” Jamie scoffs, shoving the slice into his mouth.
You watch in anticipation and smirk in satisfaction when he frowns.
“Okay, you’re right. This is wrong.” he immediately switches out the cups of ranch.
You bob your head up and down, “Yeah, it's sacrilegious.”
“Each ranch just compliments its own pizza so well!”
You press your hand to your chest and smile, “You get me.”
After dinner, the two of you treat yourself to bowls of ice cream and settle back into the couch. Jamie lets you lay across it, while your feet rest in his lap. With Grey’s Anatomy becoming background noise, you two chat quietly. Jamie tells you about his day and how stressed out the team has been with all the losses.
“I’m sorry I can’t help you destress tonight,” you joke, referring to your usual nighttime activities that are being cockblocked by your favorite week of the month.
Jamie chuckles, absentmindedly rubbing your ankle. “S’alright. Just being here’s made me feel better.”
You look at Jamie thoughtfully as he continues staring at your television screen. Before you’re really aware of what you’re doing, you sit up and plant a light kiss on his cheek.
He turns to you a little caught off guard, but not bothered. “What was that for?”
“Just because.”
You go back in for a kiss on his lips this time, and he immediately reciprocates. When you pull back, you give him a shy smile before laying back down on the couch, wrapping your blanket around you, and turning back to your comfort show. Out of your peripherals you can see a small smirk settle on Jamie’s face as he refocuses on Grey’s Anatomy as well.
You’re proud that you pulled that off nonchalantly because inside you were feeling anything but. An uncomfortable feeling settles in your stomach as you come to the realization that that wasn’t just a casual kiss. You kissed Jamie because you wanted to, not just as a prelude to sex. All night he’d been attentive to your needs, genuinely interested in hearing what you had to say even when it was nonsensical ramblings about a show you liked, and just an overall sweetheart. The more you think about it, he was always like this when you two were together, even when he was teasing you. It didn’t help that he also looked especially good tonight.
Holy shit, were you…falling for him? When you explicitly said you weren’t going to?
Well this certainly won’t end well.
A/N: this apartment scene and the car scene from part two are the first things i thought of and inspired this whole story :’) can’t wait to know what you guys think!
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#jamie tartt x reader#jamie tartt imagine#jamie tartt fanfiction#jamie tartt x f!reader#jamie tartt x female reader#ted lasso fanfiction#ted lasso fanfic#distractions series#mine
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Absolutey never going to write this but thinking of how Jamie and Roy fucked it up so badly with Keeley by treating her like a possession rather than a person
and because they’re mates now a few months later they get together to talk about it over a few beers (it’s the off-season Jamie can have beer now)
They’re both a couple of pints in and Jamie is a lightweight because he’s been training so hard and Roy is a lightweight because he’s getting old (sorry Roy, but it happens to the best of us)
And Roy is all “we absolutely fucked it Jamie”
And Jamie agrees morosely “we bollocksed it up and down and sideways”
And Roy says “we should have just-“ and cuts himself off
So Jamie is all “what?” And Roy is all “nothing” and and goes on for a while until Roy roars “I told you it was nothing you giant twat”
then after a few minutes of contemplative silence Jamie finally says “you know how Dani has two girlfriends?”
Roy snorts into his beer but he has a haunted look in his eyes. “Are you seriously going to suggest to Keeley she fucks us on alternate days? Oh it’s Tuesday that’s a Jamie day! Two dickhead boyfriends for the price of one!”
Jamie fiddles with his man bag and then says “I was thinking more … at the same time.”
Roy is staring at Jamie now and it’s only that he’s three pints in otherwise he’d be reacting in some other much more sensible way than just gaping at Jamie like a fish that’s suddenly been propositioned by his best fish mate
Finally his brain catches up and it says via his stupid mouth “is this… a swords crossing situation or what?”
“What the fuck is that sposed to mean?”
“You know. Is it - you and Keeley and me and Keeley or is it you and me and Keeley?” Roy’s throat has gone very tight and there’s a strange buzzing in his ears
Jamie’s face has gone pink and his ears are even pinker. “You. And me. And Keeley.”
“You and me.” Roy echoes
“Yeah you and me. And Keeley.”
“But you and me-“
“It’s really not a big deal mate-“ Jamie says, “anyway did you hear Zava might be going to Real Madrid-“
and they drop the whole thing
Only Roy can’t stop thinking about it and thinking about it and thinking about it, and wondering about things that he’d thought about before, and a few incidents from his wild younger days (it’s not that gay to jerk your mate off in the showers, is it?), and noticing how Jamie’s thighs look in his shorts, and it definitely becomes a very big deal indeed.
So he stews on it for a while, fucking marinates in it, and then one night he’s home alone and thinking about Jamie’s fucking smile of all fucking things, and how the tosser’s face is so fucking symmetrical and pretty but pretty in a blokey way
and before he can think better of it he texts Jamie “You and me.” and then throws his phone across the sofa (because you know Roy texts like an old person)
And his phone pings almost immediately and he digs it out from under the cushions and it just says
“Yeah”
And he stares at it and types thirteen different things and then he throws his phone away and then finds it again and then just gets up and puts on his shoes and fucking jogs to Jamie Tartt’s fucking house at 11pm on a Tuesday
Jamie opens the door at his insistent knock (he’s got his trousers on at least) and they stare at each other and then they kiss
And then six months later when they approach Keeley about this possible threesome she laughs them out of her house and goes back to her very beautiful new girlfriend
“Two dickhead boyfriends instead of one - thanks but I’m good,” she says, and kisses them both of the cheek and them firmly shuts the door
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ted lasso 3x01 thoughts
WE’RE BACK BABY
God, what a corker of an opener - whenever I take a break from Ted Lasso I forget how much I’m going to enjoy it and then we open up and fuck me it’s always so good
and the big news on everyone’s lips: Ted is officially the character under focus for season three! I wasn’t sure if they’d go there but if this episode has shown us anything it’s that Ted desperately needs something to change! someone else on tumblr pointed out that there was a washed-out feel to the entire cinematography in this episode which was clearly corresponding with Ted’s long-term depression, and that really landed with me - as someone who’s had depression come and go in waves that’s exactly what it is: you’re making the same jokes and doing the same stuff, but there’s this colourlessness that begins pervading everything. Ted’s never been more self-deprecating :( he’s making slip-ups like walking past his own front door….God, the poor man’s a mess.
BUT he’s still talking with Doctor Sharon! Ted’s taking his mental health seriously! this is a good thing!
and on that subject
GET IT DOCTOR SHARON
(I honestly thought that was Hunky Luca she was with for a second; what a turn around that would have been)
so the big question that this season is clearly going to be ramping up to is does Ted decide to stay in Richmond or go back to the US. I can’t wait to see how this unfolds - I did have a minor heart-pang moment when Ted was about to go in and comfort the team about Nate, but Jamie jumped in without even being asked and did a Tedism into the bargain. It was so sweet and so demonstrative of how Ted has planted those seeds for his team, but it will beg the question: if the boys are doing this on their own, will Ted feel he’s still needed at Richmond?
I’m worried about Rebecca this season: it’s clear there are some serious issues around the West Ham v Richmond rivalry that ain’t going away any time soon. It was interesting seeing her scoffing at Nate when he (unbeknownst) ducked away from the press conference to have his panic attack. Bear in mind, this was before he started being a dick about Richmond: so she’s clearly bitter about Nate moving to West Ham (which, as I’ve said before, is pretty unfair: people move jobs all the time) - it’ll be interesting to see if her anger at Rupert starts blinding her judgement again.
It’ll also be interesting to see if her desire to beat Rupert clashes with Ted’s own style and issues…
(I’m also predicting here and now that new, potentially high profile player Zava might end up being another Jamie Tartt but more arrogant and more aggressive on the field - and while Ted may worry that he’s not good for the team, Rebecca will want to keep him around because he’s such a significant player. Watch this space!)
Nate
NAAAAATE
From Nate’s ongoing addiction to Twitter to his unkindness to the players, to Rupert’s constant manipulation of how Nate talks and what he drives, to his dressing down a dickish journalist, to that panic attack, to the car - I am flailing about so heavily right now. Nick Mohammed is going to ruin me this season, stg
Did we notice when he was talking about settling in with his new team, Nate’s comments were that he was ‘getting to know all about them….getting to like them…getting to hope….’ straight before having a flashback of being bullied by the team? Did we? Are our hearts hurting yet?
Even his insults about Richmond - ‘they’re in the sewer because they’re a shitty team’ - are just childish! he’s trying to be a killer because that’s what Rupert wants but it doesn’t work!
Also Disco’s only spoken one line of dialogue yet but I’m immediately adopting him as my new favourite character
I’ll be honest, because we all predicted Keeley and Roy would have broken up, the reveal scene didn’t hit as emotionally hard as it did some people. But on the end I’m absolutely convinced it isn’t going to last - both Roy and Keeley clearly have some growing in their personal lives* to do, and when they eventually find their way back to each other it’s going to be beautiful. I also think that if it was an actual Planned Plot Point (TM) we’d have seen that scene play out in real time; as it is, I think it’s less important how Roy and Keeley break up than how they get together again.
*God, can you imagine Nate’s reaction if he realised Roy was comparing himself unfavourably to him?!
The sewer school trip was such a lovely little reminder of what a good team dad Ted really is. That being said, after two years of this shit, Ted could probably have realised that the sight of Richmond team dropping down into a sewer in broad daylight probably wasn’t going to play out all that well.
Katy Wix is joining the cast!! well, at least we know where she went off to after BBC Ghosts.
SHIRTLESS LOCKERROOM SCENE IN THE VERY FIRST EP; this show truly does give us everything.
I’ll be honest, I may have inhaled a mouthful of tea here; at the sight of Sam’s arms and shoulders I became a simple Victorian maiden prone to the vapours and in need of a good lie down on a chaise longue.
I, like Dani, am traumatised that Paddington Bear doesn’t actually exist
Colin gets bullied by nuns. (also I swear he was in more lingering shots this episode; the impending Colin storyline is making me so nervous and so excited)
All of the himbos are just so fucking pretty in this episode. Even despite Jamie’s hair choices. I’m also so delighted by the increasing amount of himbo interactions we’re getting: I can really imagine that the writers didn’t quite realise how popular the footballers themselves would be, and are now looking to include more himbo content for sheer funsies. Particular shout out to Phil Dunster for making Jamie as cocky and oblivious as he ever was, but this time using his powers for good. It’s a
God bless Henry Lasso for joining the Nate Shelley defence squad, and God bless Ted for listening to him. That was such a telling little moment and a promise of things to come, and I can’t believe I got that emotionally affected by a freaking Lego set.
There was so much emotional stuff in this episode, I can’t wait to see what happens next...
….nope, still distracted by Sam’s arms.
#ted lasso#ted lasso spoilers#theodore lasso#rebecca welton#roy kent#keeley jones#sam obisanya#jamie tartt#isaac mcadoo#colin hughes#dani rojas#leslie higgins#coach beard
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The more I roll it around like a piece of candy, the more I think that the reason for the coaches putting ‘Jamie’ down as ‘Jamie’ was…. as simple as letting Jamie be Jamie.
They’ve had their eyes opened lately about a lot of things lately- one of which was Ted’s belated realization about Zava, and his small acknowledgment that Jamie made the right call about that guy. When he originally brought them his concerns, their dismissal of him was partly rooted in the image they had of Old Jamie.
Which again is one of those things where we, the audience, saw much more of his changing than they did. Not only do we know that he’s not Old Jamie, we also understand that Old Jamie wasn’t really Old Jamie - it’s only ever been Rough Draft Jamie, who has a lot of work left but who’s come so far, and we’re starting to see how fucking bright his future could be.
And now that’s really in front of the coaches’ faces as well. They’re starting to see how much growth there’s been, with the fall out from Zava, and they all know he’s been doing extra training with Roy.
I think they started writing down names, got to Jamie’s, and then just…. Didn’t want him to feel like he was being Zava’d again.
He’s a good kid - for fucks sake even Beard can’t help but be sentimental about him now (talented player; beautiful dumb dumb) - and in their hearts, well? Of course he’s their striker. And no, they’re not worried he’s gonna be a Precious Moments figurine anymore - not in a fragile way at least. Just in a precious and special sort of way.
So what do they do? They give him a signal, this time a note, and tell Jamie to just be Jamie. That’s it’s okay if Jamie is just Jamie. Because this may be a new strategy they’re testing out, but that fact will always be true. They just want Jamie to be Jamie. There’s no problem with that anymore. It’s a perfectly good thing to be. And they’re here to support that now.
“That’s not a mistake. We just figured you’d wanna keep doing what you do best for us. Playing striker and scoring goals, right?”
It’s an olive branch. They thought about what Jamie might want, and they’re willing to offer it to him. No questions asked. Well, one question asked:
“Right?”
Because this is Ted we’re talking about. And just like the quote about leaving room for God, Ted is always going to leave room for people to grow. He is a Coach after all. So he leaves that door cracked open for Jamie. He may not be sure what Jamie’s going to do with it, but he’s gonna leave it open all the same. He believes in Jamie Tartt.
And Jamie takes that in stride, with a sweet befuddled smile at this sudden show of acceptance, and a weird tension in his eyes because he’s beginning to wonder ‘but what if I could be more?’
And by the end, when they’re all crowded around a whiteboard, listening to this kid crack the code on the whole shebang - the strategy, the team dynamics, where every player’s strength is gonna come together and help them win - that’s the real pay off. That’s Beard finally looking at Jamie with the full force of his analytical intellect and having approval in his eyes. That’s Roy, neither surprised nor knowing, giving him the nod like ‘you’re onto something here, keep going’, completely willing to listen.
And Ted. Ted. Ted’s face kills me here. Because he is so quietly, deeply stunned that he looks like he’s wearing his entire soul on his face.
This why you leave the door cracked open. You may not know what’s going to come through if you do - and what shows itself may be beyond your wildest dreams.
You’ve outdone yourself, Coach Lasso.
Jamie Tartt is going to be your trophy one day, mark my words. And he’s already the Son Shaped Trophy of your Coach Shaped Heart.
#i have such fucking FEELINGS about the coaching staff’s feelings for Jamie fucking Tartt#because holy shit what they have now did not come easy for any of them#it’s a miracle it’s come this far#and it gives me hope that Ted may decided to stay at Richmond - not for romance but for his team#the team that ted built#jamie tartt#ted lasso#roy kent#coach beard#ted lasso spoilers#yes I will natter on about coaches and sons and dads and shapes#boxes even#and the freeing yourself from boxes#not as long as some of my other posts
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If you would like to share more of the Sunday Snip (or anything you're working on) 🌹🌹🌹🌹
Thank you my wonderful friend. The basic premise is Jamie struggling during the Zava era and then being injured when they run the decoy play with Zava in the role of the decoy. I'm trying to find a good bit I haven't shared yet. I'll share more after the cut.
Right now, it's broken up into three chapters:
Jamie's POV from Zava through being injured in a match.
Ted's POV from the same time period.
Alternating POVs from the hospital after Jamie is injured.
1 and 2 are first draft finished but three needs a lot more (and might end up being split in two, you know how it goes!)
My problems so far are sticking the ending, and Ted's POV.
But for now, here is a snippet:
“Zava does not run decoy.”
“You do now,” Beard said. “Let’s try it.”
Jamie sighed. This was not going to go well. And it didn’t. Or it did fine enough, Zava ran through, attempting to draw the defenders. Ted didn’t give Zava the instructions he gave Jamie about wanting him to win an Oscar at the ESPYs. No, Zava got a well done. Jamie was so thrown off he’d missed the net completely on the first run-through. On the second, he’d hit the crossbar. By the third, when Jamie hit the post, he didn’t miss the frustrated looks from his teammates.
“Maybe we should have Colin do it?” Isaac suggested.
“Jamie’s got this,” Roy said.
“Jamie, you feeling alright today?” Ted asked.
Like he gave a fuck.
“Yeah, sorry, Coach.”
The 4 am training was catching up to him. Jamie attempted to go to bed at a reasonable time, but this week, he found himself staring at the ceiling most nights. By the fifth try, Jamie finally found the back of the net.
“Don’t worry, Jamie, not everyone can be Zava,” Zava said to him as he roughly clapped him on the back.
His hand lingered a little too long for Jamie’s liking, though Jamie wished he had never touched him at all, and Jamie shrugged him off as if Zava’s hand had burned him.
Prick.
#jamie tartt#ted lasso#fic: false confidence#i'm feeling it a bit today so have been working on Jamie;s POV#thank you my lovely friend#ask box is always open
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ok new trailer thingy thoughts lets fucking go
sams restaurant lets fucking GOOO it looks so cool! we can see ted and beard at the back of this scene, i wonder if trent will be there too?
also multiple trent crimm clips from the last episode. loving that for him! our little guy is having his main character moment! also hes standing in the back of the shot where ted takes down the ripped believe sign :)
i NEED to know whats happening here:
the board says "nates false nine" 🤔🤔🤔 perhaps this is the coaches planning how theyre gonna beat nate/thinking about what tactics he might use?
the angle of the nate ripping the believe sign shot makes it seem like its cctv, which makes me wonder.. because ted wouldnt check the cctv of that, right? so maybe this is someone else finding out about it? or relating to the scene we see earlier where ted shows everyone the ripped believe sign, maybe trent goes digging and finds this? or rebecca? thats a lot of questions LMAO but i basically think someone else finds out more about nates betrayal
i knew he was good, but i didnt realise zava could fly 😰😰 those other guys look pretty shocked too
#hehehe#anyways as you can tell im super normal about this show and definitely not thinking about it 24/7 :D#ted lasso#ted lasso spoilers#nathan shelley#sam obisanya#trent crimm#jamie tartt#roy kent
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3x12, Jamie edition, part 3.
You fucking idiots, both of you. "He's fine." I'M GONNA BEAT YOUR ASS, ROY KENT.
Coffee scene <3 Just make out already! Jfc!
Keeley is so sweet & deserves someone new who will take out all the drama of her life and bring only joy and no jealousy. Drop both Roy and Jamie, find yourself some Boss Ass Bitch for your happily ever after.
But hey, at least they're gonna talk! Hopefully. It was due, like, a couple of weeks ago. (Me who actually ships them) DROP THEIR ASSES, KEELEY.
Both? Neither?
LMAOO. She's the exact savage that we need. "Oh, for real? Me? I actually get to choose???" It's like I said, they sat down bickering without considering what KEELEY actually wants. Drag their asses.
TRY-ANGLES. Jamie is so cute, ugh.
The entire episode I'm thinking about Phil's "People might think they're having a wild affair" so I'm more than happy about this outcome. I'm actually ready to accept OT3 or all single, it's all good. Go spend the night together again, just like Amsterdam, but get lost in each other's arms for real this time.
When everybody started barking after Roy asking if he can be a Diamond dog, the door closed, and Jamie got really curious. hehe.
"A care package from Zava"
Heh. Who is that guy constantly next to Jamie? What's his name? They're obviously friends.
Both laughing and crying. Stop it. ;_;
Colin crying, but we know it was emotional for the actors too. The dude in the back is full on wailing.
"Richmond appear to be crying. Interesting strategy." That strategy is called "I love you all very much" ;_____;
Hands off, asshole. Honestly, the rules of football... Barely touching, apparently, doesn't count.
I love watching Jamie play. I love knowing that Phil really loves football and enjoys filming this.
It's the second (or the third?) time this happens this season. When is Ted going to adopt Jamie? ;_; I mean, he already has a stepdad, but he can have two wonderful ones as a treat.
JAMIE STILL HAS THE BOOK AND IT LOOKS LIKE HE READ IT MANY TIMES. Or at least carried around with him everywhere. Weeping.
"And Tartt finally puts it away" I literally started sheering with tears streaming down my cheeks. I feel like only this show can do it.
Henry is me. Henry is all of us Jamie lovers. God, he could've moved to England and have a constant access to Jamie. Jamie would've loved spending time with him.
Not Jamie's leg AGAIN, but that expression <3 Jamie is THE best. And that smile. That tongue. Having thoughts. :')
Jamie giving up the ball, giving it to Dani to score? TEAM PLAYER. My heart is so full of love for Jamie.
Stay mad about it. x)
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I’m particularly unhinged about how Roy offering to train Jamie is arguable a direct continuation of and parallel to the locker room hug.
Both are instances where Jamie must be feeling utterly alone, exposed in a terribly vulnerable situation he has no idea how to change or remove himself from. At Wembley, it’s a moment of acute crisis; at Richmond ever after Zava’s arrival it’s a slow, nagging thing – but whether it’s him being frozen in shock after punching his dad or very, very deliberatedly holding his emotions in after Zava steals his goal, it’s Jamie struggling to deal, and being all alone in that struggle.
Except, he isn’t alone, is he, because Roy is there. Roy is there and he sees Jamie and he chooses to act in both instances, giving Jamie exactly what he needs at each of these moments. A hug, for touch and comfort and safety when that is what Jamie clearly craves; a sense of agency and the means to change his unhappy situation when this is what will serve him best.
Just. Something about the grace of it; so unexpectedly being caught and held and held up when you thought you were all alone and falling. Someone’s there, and they’ve noticed you struggling and they’ve got you. The way that feeling must stay with Jamie after Man City, leading him to immediately trust and accept Roy’s offer of training at Ola’s, rather than say suspecting Roy of making fun of him for finding himself in this situation – not unreaonable given their history.
(And how heady it must be for Roy, too; for this angry man with such a bleak idea of how he affects the people around him to realize that he can be this for someone else? It’s not just Jamie who carries that hug and everything it made it feel with him. Roy’s risking something here, too, making an offer that might be refused or mocked by someone who was once an enemy – but he dares make it becaue the last time he reached out to Jamie, Jamie didn’t push him away but clung onto him for dear life.)
I mean. The way they are so good for each other? The way they put themselves out there to be there for one another and make each other better? Unhinged.
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Jan/Jamie concept? Cause 😍
When I rewatched s2 recently one thing that stood out to me is that Jan doesn't seem to get Richmond's craziness. He joins Sam's haircut circle, but questions it. Now they kind of did away with this characterization in s3 with the Zava hero worship, but similarly to s2 Jan I've seen s3 Jamie described as the only character in a musical who knows that they're singing and dancing.
So naturally, who better to notice how much Jamie is struggling in s3 than Jan? Who else would notice that Jamie isn't involved in the Zava worship (that at points he even seems to be explicitly excluded)? Who else would look at Roy's extra training and comment that it is only fitness-based, when fitness has never been Jamie's issue? Who else would look Roy in the eye and tell him that making them tie their dicks together is sexual harassment?
I think Jamie needs an advocate. Not necessarily to other people (he's shown that he can self-advocate, although he is promptly shut down by the coaches) but primarily to himself, someone to justify to him that he's not making this all up, that this is real and happening and that he has every right to be upset about it. I think Jan would be VERY good at that, and that Jamie would latch right on.
For Jan's part, he's not particularly fleshed out in the show beyond his "Dutch-ness" (Roy's first line is about punching dicks, Sam's is an eager greeting for their new coach, Richard's is in French, Jan's establishes him as blunt and rude by English standards but not Dutch ones). Jamie is similarly shown to be literal, what with the "That's how you get sex" bit with Keeley. Implies to me that he's been propositioning people by asking if they want to go and have sex, which is exactly the sort of hookup line Jan might go for ("Why would I want to get out of here? My friends are here, and while I think we could become good friends, we currently are not.")
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I have some thoughts on Zava and why he seems so disinterested in/unaffected by Ted’s methods.
I think it might simply be because he’s at a different stage of life than the others. I saw someone point out that Richmond’s a bit unrealistic because we have a bunch of rich, attractive young athletes over 21, and none of whom are married or have kids. And I think that might be a part of it.
Ted was a college football coach, remember. And his goals are as much about personal growth as triumph on the field. The Richmond boys are just that, boys. Even Roy, old as he was, had been so wrapped around the sport for so long, that he didn’t really have a lot of experience outside of it. Ted clocked that pretty quickly, I think, which is why he ended up giving him A Wrinkle in Time.
Zava is eccentric, and occasionally an asshole, but he’s not a kid the way the others are. He’s got a wife. He’s got children. He isn’t looking for a mentor or surrogate father figure for guidance. He’s not terribly attached to his team, though he clearly understands the need for high morale. It makes a lot of sense that Ted’s methods don’t work for him.
I know a lot of folks seem to be predicting Zava to reveal himself to be some giant jerk and turn on the team but I’m not sure I see him that way. He definitely has jerk moments, don’t get me wrong, but I’m also reminded that he specifically joined Richmond because Rebecca cornered him in the restroom and lambasted him into it. He joined BECAUSE Richmond was a weaker team, not despite it.
I think a lot of us assume the worst of Zava because of Jamie. Jamie would certainly know a self-absorbed asshole when he sees one. But I think Jamie is also prone to a bit of projection, and I think it’d be a better growing experience for him if he turns out to be wrong and Zava actually IS exactly what he seems like. You can be good at your job, and even be somewhat self-absorbed and arrogant, without being a harmful influence on the team.
He can be a poor fit for Richmond and the Lasso way without being a bad player or person. I’m really hoping that’s the direction they go with him.
#does zava have a last name?#Or first name?#I feel like they probably said it at one point in time#but it might be funnier if he only has one name after all#ted lasso#zava
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Alright, so, exactly one person said that I should do a long post about my thoughts on this scene. And that's literally all I needed. So, here I go, I guess. I'll try to be coherent.
This scene (and honestly Colin in this episode in general) really hit something deep in me as a queer person. I think it touched on something that I haven't seen a lot of media touch on in that way, but that I and a lot of other queer people have experienced
So, let's get into the scene, specifically Colin's reactions to everything.
I couldn't find gifs for everything I'm talking about, so here's the scene.
At first they're just talking about how cool Zava is and how much they admire him. And everything is fine. Until Richard calls Zava sexy, and Isaac's response is "Sounds a bit gay, bruv". And yeah, he's not saying "I hate gay people". But look at him and how he acts. He says it with a laugh. In a "you're being weird" way. Now, my point here is not to say that Isaac is homophobic. He is however referring to being gay as kinda weird, funny and almost a bit absurd. Y'know, the kind of jokes straight people make when they think there are only other straight people in the room. This is what closeted people live through every day.
I'm actually gonna put some tags from one of my other posts here. Because, yeah, exactly.
#I watched a few cishet reactions to the episode and #the way they Did Not understand the locker room scene #like that wasn't a funny 'joking with the gay guy' moment #that was a moment of 'we are all straight and the joke IS a gay guy' #like Colin is living in that liminal space of #okay maybe they aren't outright homophobic but they sure aren't openly accepting #and any change to that status quo may potentially make things Very Dangerous #so he just Isn't going to challenge that at all (@king-kal)
#stop acting like its all okay #this is exactly what makes it terrifying to come out #and what gaslights people into believing thier pain isn't real #because yes theres more blatant and explicit homophobia out there #but this does real damage too #and its fucking hard to know where youll be safe when the people around you give no indication that theyd accept anyone queer (@not-a-cheese-thief)
#however much they love him there has been absolutely nothing about them in relation to queer people that indicate they’d be #supportive and accepting #you really just never know which is partly why coming out is so terrifying (@theoneandonlypigeon)
Now, let's have a look at Colin. As soon as Issac says that, he has Colin's full attention. He turns his head, his eyes are on Isaac. And he looks kinda scared. Anticipating. He's listening intently.
When you're closeted, and the topic of queerness is mentioned, especially if someone who matters is around, like a friend, you pay attention. You pay attention to what they say, to how they react. To figure out what they think about queer people. What they would think about you if they knew. Would they treat you differently? Would they start to dislike you even? Or would they maybe be supporting?
As a closeted queer person you can never be sure if you're safe. As some of the tags above have pointed out, nobody is saying anything overtly homophobic here, but nobody is saying anything to indicate they would be supportive either. So really Colin doesn't have any more information about how they would react to him coming out than he did before.
Then Richard says "Well I'm gay". And everyone turns around to him and is like "huh?". Except for Colin. Colin doesn't turn around. He actually turns more forward. He tilted his head in Richards direction when he started talking. But when he finished his sentence Colin looked straight ahead. And imma be honest here, I'm not really that good at analysing facial expressions, and this might well be me overanalysing. But the way I'm reading what's going on here is the following. Colin actively faces forward to not seem that interested in Richards possible gayness. his eyes also widen and then tart around for a second. Which to me reads as, like, "wait, what? could there actually be another queer person on the team?".
I'm not gonna get into Richard actually being possibly gay. Here's a post about that, if you're interested. (Not saying that's what I believe necessarily, but I saw the post and felt it necessary to include)
Then, of course "for Zava". And Colin laughs. But holy shit it's such a fake laugh. Like, I'm serious, watch that scene again and pay attention to Colin's laugh. It it so fake.
While they're talking about "men with charisma that transcends orientation", nothing all that interesting happens.
And then, Colin's joke.
Immediately after he finishes his sentence, he looks anticipating again, in a slightly different way. A short moment of "should I not have said that? Could it give them a hint about me?". Then the others start to laugh and Colin smiles along. He's accomplished his mission. He's blending in. He's a chameleon.
#he's part of the team#but his queerness also isolates him#separates him from them#this is my first ever long post so i'm sorry if it sucks or doesn't make sense#i hope it does tho (make sense that is)#and i hope you can't tell that i'm sleep deprived lol#long post#colin hughes#queer#gay#ted lasso#ted lasso spoilers#ted lasso s3#ted lasso season 3
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re: zava
alright, this can go two ways. either zava leaves, or something is about to shift.
first of, this is zava's normal. he's this insanely good player who makes any team win by scoring all by himself, and all everyone else has to do is get the ball to him and support him. he does this for a year, than he gets bored and he changes team, this has been said in episode 2.
except nothing about the way he ended up joining richmond is normal! he picked them because rebecca, instead of treating him like football jesus and kissing the ground he walks on, CHALLENGED him.
the fact that it worked might mean that zava really does have something to prove to himself.
and now, another great player who has been canonically described as godlike--
-- is about to challenge zava on the pitch.
jamie first catalyst of a zava change i am manifesting it<3 otherwise just kill zava ig
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