This contains lyrics from Lovely by Billie Eilish and Khalid, but for the purpose of this fic, pretend that song doesn't exist. Anyway this popped into my head a few minutes ago, so I'm winging it. Also it's a slow burner, sorry.
Roy arrived at Jamie's house slightly early that morning. It was 3:38, so he decided to wait in the car. Roy hadn't slept. He'd been up all night, overthinking the team's upcoming match against Man City and what they were likely to encounter. Upon remembering what had been keeping him up, Roy looked up from his phone and at Jamie's house, then frowned. There was a light on in the spare room Roy was never allowed to go into. Curious, Roy watched for a while, until he saw the shadow of a person walk past the curtains closed over the window. 'The fuck?' Roy whispered to himself as he watched the shadow seemingly take a seat. If there was anything Jamie loved more than anything, it was his beauty sleep. Normally, he was half asleep or only just awake when Roy showed up at 4am. Now, 20 minutes early, Jamie was up and about.
Getting even more curious, Roy got out of his car and walked towards the house. However as he got closer, he heard... music? Jamie was listening to music. But not the rap or rock Jamie usually listened to. This was a sweet acoustic melody, with a calm, male voice Roy couldn't catch the words of. 'Fuck sake!' Roy almost jumped when he heard the younger man shout and the music cut abruptly. Now more curious than ever, Roy peered through a small gap in the curtains.
Jamie was sat on a tiny sofa against the wall to Roy's left, writing something in a notebook and holding a guitar. A guitar. That beautiful melody Roy had heard had been Jamie playing. Before Roy could even grasp the fact that Jamie Tartt could play guitar, the younger man leant back on the sofa, hand over his eyes, then checked his watch. Roy checked his own. It was 3:52. Jamie got up from the sofa, placed his expensive-looking guitar on it, then turned the light off a he left the room. Roy took a seat on the bench outside Jamie's house, taking in what he had just seen. It wasn't anything huge, there are hundreds of thousands of people out there who can play guitar, after all, but knowing that Jamie was one of them just didn't sit right with Roy. At 4am exactly, Roy banged on the door and acted like nothing happened.
TEDLASSOTEDLASSOTEDLASSOTEDLASSOTEDLASSO
Later that day, Roy was sat in the office with Beard and Ted. It had been a long day of training and, despite having obviously having a rough night, Jamie played as he always did, if not harder with the threat of his old club looming over everyone's heads. The footballer in question was now sat in the locker room with the other players, changing back into their normal clothes. 'What's goin' on, Roy?' Ted asked. Roy looked up and through the window at the manager. 'What? Nothing.' He replied.
'Come on, you can tell us.' Ted said, gesturing to beard who nodded. With a loud sigh, Roy stood from his chair and walked into Ted's office, closing the door behind him.
'Go on, what's happenin'? You've been acting sulkier than usual all day.' Roy gave another huge sigh and looked out of the window at Jamie, who was scrolling through his phone. 'I saw something I maybe shouldn't have last night.'
'Ohhhh.' Ted said. 'What was it?' Roy didn't reply for some time. He knew it was stupid, knew it was nothing. It shouldn't bother him like it does, but he had a feeling there was more to it than he knew. 'I was up all night last night, so I got to Jamie's early at like 3:30 or some'ing. When I got there, there was a light on in one of the rooms. Now this fucking room, Jamie is adamant that I don't go into it. Every fucking time I go over, he tells me 'don't you fucking dare go in that room.'' Roy explained, doing a poor impression of Jamie's accent.
'Anyway, when I usually get there in the morning, Jamie's half asleep, so I knew something was off, him being awake. I got out my car and went over, and I heard this melody, it sounded incredible. I could hear the guy's voice who was singing, but he was fucking good 'n' all. Anyway, I looked through a gap in the curtains and... and Jamie fucking Tartt was playing the fucking guitar that I could hear and I don't know why it's fucking bothering me so much but Jamie Tartt being able to play the guitar just feels off to me for some fucking reason and I wanna talk about it with him and I wanna fucking hear more but I don't know how to go about that and I don't want him to fucking overreact.' Roy said, then stared at Ted, awaiting a response.
'Whoa. Never start smokin', Roy, I admire your lung capacity.' Ted said. 'But that's one hell of a situation. Honestly, finding out Jamie plays guitar is wonderful news to me. Makes me wonder how many other musically inclined fellas we got in here.' Roy huffed and followed Ted's eye-line out of the window at the team. 'I know, how 'bout we have a social night before the game?' Ted and Beard shared a look, then Roy watched as both men got simultaneously excited. 'Alright what the fuck have you two just decided on?' Roy asked.
'So, we got a week before the game, right?' Ted said. Roy nodded. 'I say, in a few days time, we hold a talent show. Encourage the fellas to bring in dumb skills or genuine ones. Who knows, maybe we'll find out some of the guys can juggle or play the trumpet? It'll be a good way for Jamie to tell us on his own.'
'Nah, he won't do it.' Roy said. 'He won't let me anywhere near the room, keeps the curtains closed and everything. I don't even think Keeley knows he can play. Dunno why he keeps it secret, he's fucking good.' Ted shrugged.
'Well, encourage him subtly. Who knows, he might tell you before he tells us.' With that, Ted rose form his seat and left the office.
'Hey, fellas!' He called. All eyes were immediately on him. 'Alright, I know a few of y'all have been feeling the stress from our up coming game against Man City, am I right?' Several nods scattered around the room. Roy glanced over at Jamie, who didn't move. 'Well, Coach Beard and I thought we'd put together a little social night for y'all. In two days time, in the evening after training, there's gonna be a talent show.' Excited chatter and smiles filled the air but, once again, Jamie didn't move other than to acknowledge Bumbercatch's excited shoulder punch. 'Now, y'all can bring anything.' Ted continued, getting the room's attention once more. 'Maybe you can sing, maybe you can play an instrument... or maybe you can write the alphabet in world record time. Whatever it is, bring it. I wanna see all of y'all doing somethin'. Alright?' Once again, excitement filled the room. Roy gave a last glance toward Jamie as he headed back into the office, only to see the younger man engaged in normal conversation with Sam.
TEDLASSOTEDLASSOTEDLASSOTEDLASSOTEDLASSOTEDLASSO
'What you doing for the fucking talent show Ted's doing?' Roy asked as Jamie did sit ups in front of him. It was 4:15am, and Jamie was only just out of his usual sleepiness. 'Dunno, might make a paper aeroplane and launch it right at your nose.' Roy scoffed. 'What? I had the best aim wi' those things in school, yknow.' Roy scoffed again.
'Hard to imagine you in school.' He said. It was Jamie's turn to scoff.
'Yeah, well... I was a prick.' He said with a groan as he fought for his 75th sit up.
'Now that I can fucking imagine.' Roy replied. 'Can you seriously not do anything other than play football?' He asked, subtly tying to nudge him in the right direction.
'No.' Jamie said, but he avoided Roy's eyes. 'Never really had time for anything.'
'Bullshit.' Roy said. Jamie shook his head, but didn't respond. 'Well, whatever it is that you can do, bring it to the fucking talent thing. I know there's something, you can't just play football.'
'Go on then, big man, what can you do?' Jamie said, sitting cross legged as he finished his set. Roy scoffed again.
'You wouldn't believe me if I told you.' He said.
'No, go on.' Jamie replied. 'What is it?' Roy paused, and for a moment he understood why Jamie kept his talent a secret.
'I play drums.' Jamie didn't say anything for a slightly tense minute. Roy was waiting for the laughter that was bound to come, but none did.
'How long you been playing for?' He asked. Roy was taken slightly aback at the question, but remembered he was trying to push Jamie into telling him a similar thing.
'My whole life. I was an angry kid, funnily enough, so my Dad wanted me to put it into something. Smashing up a drum kit was my favourite thing to do beside play football.'
'Oh.' Jamie said. 'Yeah, yeah I get that.' With that, he carried on with his next set of sit ups and Roy hated himself for not using that moment more wisely.
TEDLASSOTEDLASSOTEDLASSOTEDLASSOTEDLASSO
The night of the talent show rolled around, and everyone was excited. Even Rebecca showed up to give her support to the team. The event was being held in the conference room, the only room they all fit in aside from the locker room. One by one, the players got up and demonstrated their talents. Dani made some impressive origami he learned from his abuela, Isaac sang (surprisingly well) a cover of Take Me Home, Country Roads that had everyone, even Roy, singing along. Sam played a small, handheld instrument made by his Dad and Colin ate an entire pot noodle in 46 seconds. Then it was Jamie's turn. The young man got up slowly, making his way from the back of the room to the front.
'Right, erm, not gonna lie, I literally decided to do this as I was walking into the room. I was early this morning so I figured I could sneak it in and decide later whether I was actually doing it or not.' With that, Jamie slid over the conference table and picked up something from behind it. It was long and rectangular and when Jamie took it out of the bag, the room was tense. It was a keyboard. 'You're fucking joking.' Roy whispered to himself.
'Seems our Jamie has more than one trick up his sleeve.' Ted whispered back.
'So, yeah. I play piano. I have since I was 9.' Jamie said as he set up his keyboard, attaching the legs and standing it up in front of a chair he grabbed from the side. 'I used to write songs a lot more than I do now, mainly because I used it as an outlet alongside football.' He said, taking a seat behind the keyboard. 'I don't really tell people because, well, I think I'm bad. Who knows. Anyway, as I said, I write me own songs an' I wrote this one when I were fourteen. I haven't sung it for a few years tho, so bear with.' With that, Jamie lined his hands up on the keyboard and started playing. The intro was soft and sweet, and captured everyone's attention. Then he began singing. Roy didn't expect him to be able to sing that well, but Jamie's voice was smooth, easy.
'Thought I found a way... thought I found a way out. But you never go away... so I guess I gotta stay now.'
Roy could see the irony in the lyrics, could almost picture fourteen year old Jamie writing it.
'Oh I hope someday I'll make it out of here, even if it takes all night or a hundred years.'
The whole room knew what this song was about. And it hurt them.
'Need a place to hide, but I can't find one near. Wanna feel alive, outside I can't fight my fear.'
As Jamie approached the chorus, he played harder, and Roy could see it. Could see the meaning in his scrunched up eyes and deep breaths. He was surprised when Jamie calmed, and the chorus became soft.
'Isn't it lovely, all alone? Heart made of glass, my mind of stone. Tear me to pieces, skin to bone. Hello, welcome home.'
Jamie played a short instrumental, in which sniffles could be heard around the room. But Jamie didn't pay attention to them. Instead, he kept his eyes on the keyboard.
'Walkin' out of time... Lookin' for a better place.'
Roy could feel the tell-tale burning behind his eyes, but he ignored it. He was too focused on Jamie, too focused on the young man offering up a piece of himself to the rest of the team that he hadn't before.
'Something's on my mind, always in my head space.'
A tear dripped down Roy's left cheek, but he let it fall. Several players were in a similar state by that point, all moved by the melody and lyrics of Jamie's song as the player in question once again neared his chorus.
'But I know some day I'll make it out of here, even if it takes all night or a hundred years. Need a place to hide, but I can't find one near. Wanna feel alive, outside I can't fight my fear.'
Dani was leant on Sam's shoulder, and they hugged each other as they both stifled cries. Colin and Isaac were sat a lot closer to each other than they usually were, but both had almost stoic faces as tears soaked their cheeks. Roy held his ground as more tears slipped out of his eyes, Jamie's voice moving him in a way he never thought possible.
'Isn't it lovely, all alone? Heart made of glass, my mind of stone. Tear me to pieces, skin to bone. Hello, welcome home.'
Jamie put something else into those lyrics, the 'tear' being dragged out and accented with a couple of voice breaks. It was then that Roy noticed the tears glistening on Jamie's cheeks, as well. The vocal instrumental that came next ascended everyone into the heavens. Roy didn't even think it was possible for someone like Jamie to sound so... angelic. Then it softened into a musical instrumental of the chorus, leading up to...
'Hello, welcome home.'
Jamie stopped playing, and there was a long pause broken only by sniffles and Jamie's deep breaths. Then Ted started clapping, followed by Roy, and gradually everyone in the room was clapping and cheering. There wasn't a single dry eye in the room as Jamie looked up at everyone, finishing with Roy. Roy smiled at him and nodded, taking a deep breath of his own in an attempt to get rid of the lump in his throat. Jamie looked slightly surprised at Roy's reaction, but nodded back regardless.
TEDLASSOTEDLASSOTEDLASSOTEDLASSOTEDLASSO
'Oi, Jamie.' Roy said, pulling Jamie aside as everyone left the room. The talent show had finished with Ted doing some impromptu stand up comedy, followed by everyone cheering Rebecca into singing Let It Go for them again, and everyone was leaving in high spirits. 'Yeah, what's up coach?' Jamie said, hoisting his keyboard onto his back. 'Fancy a drink?' Roy asked. Jamie looked at him, confused.
'I'm in training, coach. Thought I wasn't allowed to drink.' He said.
'You're not, but I think you deserve it this one time.' Jamie grinned.
'Yeah, alright then.'
The two men met up an hour later, having driven home to drop their stuff off before walking back down to the pub. They ordered their drinks and picked a quiet corner far away from everyone, to avoid the stares and so they had some privacy to talk. Roy had asked May to make sure nobody bothered them, to which she happily agreed.
'That was incredible, what you did today.' Roy started. Jamie avoided his eyes.
'Yeah, yeah, dunno, I suppose so.' He said. Roy sighed.
'Jamie.' He said sternly. Jamie looked up at him. 'You made every single person in that fucking room cry. It was incredible. I didn't even know you could play piano, let alone fucking sing.' Jamie gave a small laugh.
'Didn't used to be able to, used to drive me Dad nuts. He smashed me guitar once because I played it too loud. Me Mum always liked hearing me play, though. She said if I wasn't gonna be a footballer, I could be a musician.' Roy chuckled and smiled at the younger man.
'I agree with her. Whether you admit it or not, you're fucking good Jamie.' Jamie didn't respond, but he avoided Roy's eyes with a smile. 'You play guitar as well?' He asked. Obviously he already knew, but Jamie didn't have to know that.
'Yeah, but don't tell anyone. I only write sad shit an' nobody wants to hear that.' Roy scoffed, he could hardly believe Jamie wasn't bragging about how good he was at these things but, then again, Jamie kept changing before Roy's eyes without even knowing himself.
That was a lot longer than I expected it to be, but I hope y'all enjoyed :). Reviews and requests welcome as always :)
Alexander