|| Soft || Roy Kent

Chapter Ten

 The celebration of Nate's promotion to assistant coach was exactly what the team needed. The boost created a moment of levity in an otherwise heavy atmosphere, the anticipation of the upcoming match a lead balloon in all of their stomachs. Though Alex sometimes had her reservations about Nate's attitude, she definitely could not think of someone more in love with the game and more of an asset to their management.

There was a slight relief at Roy's concession and willingness to sit the bench for the match. It was as if they were able to get just a little more air in with the elephant sitting on their chests. It lightened the load. Unsure of what that would mean for the way the team interacted on the pitch, Alex was nervous to see what they did in attempts to fill the void that Roy's presence left.

Roy was surprisingly hopeful about the match. Giving little thought to what this decision meant for his future in the game, he was starting to make peace with what it meant for the singular match that awaited them. And finally, the team had stopped looking at him with sympathetic eyes and went back to fearing him once more.

When Roy entered the coaches office, he was fingering the captain's armband uncomfortably. It had been years since he went without that detail as a part of his uniform. Giving it up would feel like relinquishing a part of himself.

"Hey, Roy." Ted was standing in the office, in the middle of a discussion with Beard.

"Not sure if you know this, but the rules say you gotta pick a new captain." Roy tried to

sound as casual as possible as he reached out and placed the armband in Ted's hand.

"Hm," Ted looked down at it thoughtfully. "No sir. You're my captain, that's the rule."

Ted reached out and placed it back into Roy's hand.

"No, the captain has to be on the pitch," he handed it back to Ted. "That's the rule."

"I say that the current captain has to pick the new captain." Ted handed it back to Roy,

who was starting to feel heat rise in his face. "That's my new rule." Ted smiled smugly.

"Don't want to." Roy threw the armband back at Ted.

"You have to," Ted challenged, tossing it back to him.

"I decline," Roy was growing more frustrated.

"I insist." Ted was now smiling, enjoying the back and forth.

"Can't make me." Roy was now resorting to school-yard retorts.

"Roy Kent," Ted began transferring the band from one hand to the other, "until you choose your successor," he showed his hand, nothing in it, "your duties as captain remain unfulfilled." He tossed the arm band from the opposite hand and it landed on Roy's head.

"This is why it's hard to love you." Roy grumbled, taking the armband off of his head and trudging back into the locker room.

There was a knock on the door of Alex's office. She had pulled it around after her last interaction with Richard, whom she absolutely had come to adore, but also had acknowledged as someone willing to linger in her office just to flirt. She only slightly regretted telling him that she had spent most of her time in school also learning French. He had never stopped capitalizing on his perfected use of the double entendre.

"Come in!" Alex called out, hurrying to complete the last of her thoughts as she worked through this week's documentation.

Rebecca stood in the doorway, a sight Alex was not often accustomed to. It was more typical that Alex and Keeley were seated on her comfortable office sectional, much more rare that she ventured downstairs to her office. Alex smiled warmly, offering the seat across the desk from her. Rebecca had made herself scarce since Keeley had informed Alex of her plan to sink the club.