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AFC Richmond was in 2nd place by the last round of the Premier League. West Ham was first, with just a goal difference and one point front. Coincidence or destiny, both teams were each other´s last opponents for the season. Nate would be against his previous team for the first time since their latest encounter seven months ago, where Richmond won 3-0. Jamie Tartt got a hat-trick. Sam Obisanya assisted all of them.
Ted didn´t remember being this nervous since what? Henry´s birth? He had promised this team, promised her that they were going to win everything. Sure, being a FA Cup champion in their first year back to the League was great, but he wanted more. They deserved more, knew that they could go for more. Everyone wanted to go to Rupert´s neck for obvious reasons and now to Nathan´s as well, especially after Trent´s book, where he said that in his last job as a journalist, he had seen such betrayal that it hurt just to write. It was easy to figure the rest out.
But he made sure that everyone was going to this game with all and only good reasons. That they had worked hard to get there and would be able to do something that anyone imagined they could. They had the chance to show England and damn it, the whole world, what they were capable of.
West Ham was about to be crowned champions as the game went to its last ten minutes with a 0-0 score. Nate would keep looking at Ted and the other coaches, smiling in a mockery and devilish way that they knew he had learned that from Rupert. But who laughs last laughs best. Colin scored in the 91st minute and the game ended. It was hard to understand a single word coming from the fans´ chants with all the tears of joy and shouts. They had done it. They were the fucking champions of England.
Time flew by since the referee blew his whistle for the last time. They were all hugging, singing, crying, yelling, and whatever else could come to their minds. He was with his players and thought he wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the whole world until he saw her.
Rebecca was running down the pitch to be with her players, her gaffers, with him. In the last three years, she realized that loving this team was so much better than wanting to destroy it, and she owed a lot of that to Ted. He had accepted this stupid job on the other side of the ocean and she felt, she knew, that he didn´t belong in any other single place but here. ´Here` could be England, London, this team, or even herself. She saw their friendship grow, go through hard times and still stay firm. She saw the way he became an even bigger part of her life when Keeley left, as the Biscuits with the Boss became lunches with the Gaffer every weekend and then almost every day; Him staying in her office when they both had to work late, not because they needed help, but because it was better, it was comfortable, it was lovely just to be in each other´s presence.
The last thing he knew she was running to hug everyone, being lifted by some players while others shouted We´re Welton boys til´ we die, we know we are, we sure we are, we´re Welton boys til we die.
She was about to start crying when she felt his presence behind her. He didn´t say anything, just hugged her, crying himself, and then he kissed her. Like there were only the two of them in the world. Like if he didn´t he would collapse, and maybe he would. It was too late when he realized what and where he did. He kissed Beard next, Roy, Keeley, and another assistant manager, trying to avoid everything and anything at the same time. He started pointing to the locker room where all the boys followed, got their things, and went straight to Crown & Anchor. It was, then, just Ted and Beard in their office, as Roy was with Keeley.
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´´When are you going to talk to her?`` Beard said while Ted sent a text to Henry, saying that he would call him later. ´´I don´t know what you´re talking about``, he answered.
Beard just looked at him, like he knew, and he did. Ted also knew that there was no hiding from him. ´´You kissed her. On international Television``, the other coach said, just waiting. ´´Yeah, but I also kissed you. And Roy. And Keeley. Wait, you´re not jealous, are you?`` Ted said trying to avoid the initial question.
´´You wish. And don´t try to Chandler Bing me. Ted, we were college buddies. I saw you fall in love once, twice, and then for a long time. This is not different from that. You. Have. To. Talk. To. Her`` he said, tapping his hand on his table, making a point.
´´Look, you´re right, ok?`` and he could swear he heard him whispering ´I know`, but continued. ´´But what if, from her part, it was just the emotion of the moment, you know? I can´t risk losing her. I can´t let this happen ag-`` Beard had to interrupt him ´´Hey, none of that. Rebecca is not Michelle. The only thing you are risking losing is a big opportunity. I saw Keeley screaming. Just go talk to her.`` He said and left, knowing that Ted knew exactly what o do.
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´´So, you´re really going to pretend that nothing happened and I didn´t run away from Roy just to come here and scream about it with you?`` Keeley said while she came into Rebecca´s office, following her. ´´I have no idea what you´re talking about.`` she answered quickly.
´´Oi! Fuck off! When were you going to tell me that you´re shagging the gaffer?`` The shorter one said, excited but also very angry for someone at her size. ´´We´re not - There´s nothing to say. We were all extremely happy and he kissed me, then Beard, Roy and even you!`` she said looking everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
´´And you have never seen Friends? Spare me, Rebecca!`` she said, laughing. ´´You two have been building this for so long now. Don´t you think Roy tells me how he comes here every day in the same hours I used to come? I still have to ask him how he knows that but that´s not the point. You have to talk to him, babe.`` she finished and stepped close to the taller one. ´´What if- he doesn´t feel the same and-`` she stopped when she felt Keeley hugging her. ´´Look, I can tell you 99% sure that he does. If he doesn´t he is a really bloody insane man. I mean, he already is, but in a good way. And I know he´s insane about you too. I can actually picture his hearty eyes when you´re around by Roy just telling me. You go talk to him, yeah?`` then she went up to her toes, kissed Rebecca´s cheek, and left.
When she closed the door behind her she saw him. Not who she wished it was, but the last person she wanted to see in the world.
´´What the fuck are you doing here? How did you get by security?`` she said, trying her best to not punch him just because he had a very punchable face. ´´Come on, Keeley. I used to own this club. And I just came to say congratulations. I´m a good loser`` he answered laughing, the same way Ted, Beard, and Roy saw Nate doing before. ´´I agree with the loser part because you are the biggest one I´ve ever seen. Go to hell, Rupert`` she said and was about to go back inside to the office when she saw him, finally him, just waiting at the stairs. She looked at him, knowing, and left.
He would be better than her there. When she left, Ted heard her yelling and Roy downstairs saying ´´What the fuck is going on?`` loud enough for the whole city to hear. When he looked back to her door he was already inside, and God how good it was to see her confronting him, hoping she was hopefully telling him all the things he wanted to say given the chance.
And then he couldn´t wait anymore. As long as he would stay the whole day just watching her doing literally anything, he was on a mission there. He knocked and entered without waiting for her to answer. Both of them knew he didn´t have to. Hell, he probably didn´t even have to knock. She just looked at him, smiling, knowing. He knew she didn´t need him to defend her, but he loved to do so and loved her reactions even more. How she would melt at just his words to others, and got proud of himself knowing that she trusted him like this.
´´Well, I will let you two lovebirds to it. It was nice to see you, Ted. Congrats. Oh, and good luck with this one. I know you are going to need it.`` he said and was at the door, passing by him, when he felt a weight on his foot. It was Ted. ´´Hey, Rupert. Do you want to know why we are so different, you and me? It´s because you are stupid, brainless and a fucking nobody. Me, on the other hand?`` he waited, breathed, looked at her, and smiled. He knew he was about to say the most honest words he ever said in his life. ´´I am the luckiest man in the world and a fucking Premier League champion. Not to mention the FA Cup. And that you just lost to me, again. Now go to hell before I make you go myself.`` the older one just left. It was over.
It was like the Sun finally shone for her, for them. Like she could spend the rest of her life just at that moment, prouder of her team than she ever imagined she could be. And she was, too, the luckiest woman in the world. Because nothing had happened yet, but it would. It wasn´t something they could avoid anymore. Not when he looked at her like he had just seen a star shine for the first time in his life, and maybe he had. Not when she looked at him like he was the missing puzzle to her soul, and he was.
´´Look, I´m just going to say it first because then I can leave if I got the wrong impression and -`` he started breathing again and she took it as her chance to speak. ´´You didn´t, Ted. That moment on the pitch... what we have here, what we are to one another? This is real. All real`` she said, not believing in the smile that crossed her face.
He couldn´t stop smiling either. ´´You know, as soon as I got into my office, Beard said that I should come to talk to you and I knew he was right. Because I don´t want anything else, Rebecca. I want to spend the nights here, in your office, not just because we both have to work late, but because I want to spend time with you and know that I can. I want to see the sunlight lighting your face when you wake up in the morning just like you light up my life`` he said, and it was like taking a weight off of his chest.
´´As do I, Ted.`` she started. ´´You make me want to be a better person every single day. You made me realize how much I can love myself, and I want nothing more than retribute this love to you. I want to spend the day with you, the night, the month, every moment that I have the chance. And this is it for me.`` she said and couldn´t stop herself from crying, tears of joy when he started crying too.
´´So we´re both in for the whole deal, huh?`` she said, laughing and getting closer to him. It was his personal space, and now it´s theirs. Just like their smiles, tears, hearts, and souls. They were each other's homes and nothing in the world could change that.
´´The whole fucking thing. As long as you´ll have me.`` he said, not believing that he could be this happy. He had come from so far, with so much pain in his heart and she fixed all of it, without even knowing. Just her existing, being there for him, with him was more than enough to know that with her and Henry he didn´t need anything else in his life. And still couldn´t wait for what the future held for them.
´´Think I´m gonna use my coupon for life then, Mr. Lasso`` she said and it was over. They kissed. For real this time. Not because they were celebrating their trophies, but celebrating one another. Finally. After waiting for too long. So gentle and so necessary that if they parted they would break just like a cup of glass. But they still had a lot to do that day and they had the whole time in the world. For life.
They were leaving to the door when they heard voices. When it was open, Roy, Keeley, and Higgins were all giving Beard some money. ´´Hey, coach, you ok? You know, if you were having some financial problems you could just have told me, I´m here to help`` Ted said looking at all of them confused. ´´Shh, shut up. I´m counting. Roy, you still owe me $10.`` he said looking seriously at the man, who just nodded. ´´And Jamie`` he continued, yelling now, ´´tell the team that we both we won!`` he finished and looked at both Ted and Rebecca, still holding each other without even realizing. ´´FUCKING KNEW IT. Oi, Colin! The gaffer and the boss are finally shagging!`` was all they could hear from the young man that was downstairs, having come back to get his wallet.
´´The fuck?`` Rebecca asked first, still not understanding what was going on. ´´We betted on you guys.`` they all said almost at the same time, without a hit of regret or shame on their faces. ´´Took you long enough.`` Roy started, ´´but I´m happy it finally happened. If I had to gossip about it with Keeley any longer I don´t know what I would do. Cheers to you. Now, there´s a bar waiting for us.`` he finished. Beard nodded pointing into Roy, Higgins said he was very happy for them both and Keeley kissed them on the cheek and left. It was only him and her, again.
They couldn´t stop laughing, smiling. These people were nuts. But they were their family, that three years ago none of them could imagine having. Like a thunderstorm in the spring that they didn´t know they would have and still was the most beautiful thing they had ever seen.
And in the end, they also went home. But home wasn´t a place anymore. Was a feeling. They lassoed the moon to one another for the rest of their lives.