liked by: billie_kent and 204,151 others

jamie_tartt: someone tell him he's playing for england this week

COMMENTS:
billie_kent: I hate to say I told you so...

billie_kent: I'm not sure I'll ever be able to articulate how proud I am of you <3

england: we can't wait to have you!

will_kitman: legendary.

colinhughes: so happy for you boyo!

alfiesykes98: so well deserved!

samobisanya23: Congrats Jamie!

FOUR DAYS EARLIER
"Do you think we'll get another dog?" Jamie asked as Billie rested her head on his chest as they lay in his bed, "I just think Nelson would like a brother or sister, you know?"

"We don't have the space, J," Billie hummed as she wrapped her arms around his torso, nestling closer into his side as the morning sun seeped through the window.

"We've got more than enough space, babe," Jamie reminded her, his house being an impressive converted Victorian house with four bedrooms, one used as the master bedroom, one as Jamie's wardrobe room (which Billie often shared), the other two being guest rooms.

"What about when we're at mine?" Billie muttered, because the pair were effectively living together, but between the two properties, there was an obvious way to make life easier for them both, it just wasn't something they'd spoken about.

"We'll get one of them cute little ones, like Will but a dog," Jamie laughed as his phone buzzed, he picked it up from the bedside table to see an incoming call from an unknown number, "I'm just gonna take this out there, don't wanna disturb you."

"Go ahead, pretty boy," Billie smiled as Jamie climbed out of bed, making his way out of the bedroom and into his wardrobe room next door.

Billie collected her own phone from the bedside table, making sure not to search for her name online. She'd been trying desperately not to do it ever since her conversation with Rebecca before the Brighton game, she knew it wouldn't help, she knew from speaking to Dr Sharon about it that what she was doing to herself would be classed as emotional self harm, and that wasn't what she wanted for herself.

So instead she connected her phone to the room's speaker system, pressing shuffle on her playlist. She then scrolled through her Instagram feed, met with candid photos of the team on their last night out posted by Will, a photo of Colin and Van Damme redecorating Sam's restaurant posted by Colin and a photo that Jamie had posted with Roy, taken by Billie in Amsterdam - that one particularly melted her heart.

Just a few minutes later, Jamie re-entered the bedroom, a look on his face that Billie wasn't sure she could quite make out.

"Everything okay?" Billie hummed as Jamie pushed the door closed, now wearing a t-shirt and gym shorts.

"Yeah, I think so," Jamie nodded as he stood in the space in front of his bed.

"Who was it on the phone?" Billie asked, tossing her phone onto the bed.

"Erm, Southgate," Jamie answered flippantly as though it were nothing, scratching the back of his neck.

"As in?" Billie attempted to hide her grin as she sat up straighter, her heart beginning to thump rapidly.

"Gareth Southgate, yeah," Jamie nodded with the slightest of smiles, "Gareth Southgate who, erm...wants me on his England team."

"Shut up," Billie whispered with a smile so wide her face began to ache, covering her mouth in disbelief as Jamie smiled back nervously, "You're gonna be playing for England?"

"Yeah, babe," Jamie replied, because despite the phone call with Gareth Southgate himself, he wasn't sure he had entirely processed the revelation just yet.

"This is fucking perfect," Billie stood up on the bed, hurrying to Jamie's end and resting her hands on his shoulder as she looked down at where he stood on the carpeted floor, "I told you you'd make it, golden boy."

Without a word, Jamie wrapped his arms around Billie lifting her over his shoulder and spinning him around as she squealed. He had worked hard to be in a position where England's manager had selected him to play in an International Break, but Jamie was sure that without the belief of Billie, he wouldn't have believed it was something worth aiming for.

"I fucking love you," Jamie muttered, wrapping Billie's legs around his waist as he continued to hold onto her, "This is for us."

"This is your moment, Jamie," Billie reminded him as he sat down on the edge of the bed, keeping her on his lap, "I'm so proud of you."

It was a big deal to Jamie to be selected by Gareth Southgate for England's World Cup qualifier squad. It was a sign that he had proven himself worthy of a spot amongst the best of English football, to walk in the footsteps of legends of the game. In Jamie's eyes, this was the beginning, a chance to showcase what he could bring to a game on a global scale.

"Will you come with me?" Jamie asked, interlocking his hand with Billie's, because Wembley still meant something, and there was no one he'd rather be there to witness his first England game, "I mean, I might just be on the bench for the ninety minutes, but just knowing you're there-"

"There's no place I'd rather be, regardless of whether you're on the bench or the pitch," Billie smiled, running her hand back through his hair.

"I couldn't do this without you, Billie," Jamie told her honestly, "Any of it, it just makes sense when you're with me."

"Ditto."

Ten consecutive wins was a triumph for any team, but for a team who had only returned to the league that season, well it was pretty much unprecedented. There was something lighter in the air around the Dog Track, a sense of what some people would call belief that what they were doing was in fact possible.

"You're just jealous I've got a ticket to see our Jamie play for England and you can't come," Billie nudged her brother as she stood between him and Jamie in the locker room off the back of yet another win for Richmond.

"I'm busy anyway," Roy remarked, plastering on his very best 'unbothered' face, despite the multiple air punches he'd done when Jamie and Billie had called him with the England news.

"I'll send you updates, don't worry," Billie grinned, looking up at Jamie with a proud smile.

"Alright, fellas, way to play out there today," Ted and Beard entered the room, gathering the team's attention, "Congratulations on yet another victorious outcome!"

The team applauded in agreement, wondering whether perhaps they were dreaming.

"Hey, quick reminder, because of the break in our schedule due to international play, there's no game next week, alright?" Ted told the team who cheered, "Alright, hey, it kind of hurts my feelings y'all don't wanna spend next weekend with me, if I'm being honest...but I am the strong silent type, so I ain't gonna let you know, but I'm also loud and weak, because I, like all humans, contain multitudes, am I right?"

"Yeah."

"Anyhoo, we wanna say good night and good luck to the fellas on our squad that have been chosen to represent their home country next week," Ted told the group, "Coach, who we talking about?"

"Just up the way at Wembley, making his debut for England, Jamie Tartt!" Beard announced, earning cheers and applause from the team as Billie wrapped the striker in yet another hug while Roy patted him on the shoulder, "Taking the plane to Toronto to play goal for Canada, Van Damme!"

"He's got a plane ticket!"

"Who will be going up against Mexico and Dani Rojas!" Beard continued, "Bumbercatch, holding it down for Switzerland!"

"My guy!" Jamie clapped his hands in support.

"Wait, Bumbercatch, you're Swiss?" Ted remarked.

"Yeah, look at me," Bumbercatch remarked.

"No, yeah, you're right."

"And repping Wales, Colin Hughes!"

"Let's go, boyo!" Billie cheered in support.

"Is that it?" Ted asked Beard.

"That's it," Beard nodded as the team's gaze turned to Sam, who they'd all assumed would be selected to represent Nigeria. He was excelling in every match, it would be an obvious decision for him to be included in Nigeria's squad, and yet he'd been painfully snubbed.

"Okay, well, let's go ahead and wish our friends safe travels and Godspeed, or whatever narcotic your deity chooses to self medicate with," Ted told the group, "Rest of y'all, see you on Monday."

"Hey, I said I'd join Rebecca for coffee upstairs...well, I'll be drinking hot chocolate obviously," Billie told Jamie as the team dispersed, "I'll see you once you're all fresh and showered, yeah?"

"You gonna choose me Lynx?" Jamie asked.

Billie opened his locker, quickly pulling out her favourite can and handing it to him, "That's my favourite."

"Leather and Cookies, smart girl," Jamie smirked, "See you in a bit."

"Love you!"

"Ditto."

"So you're telling me it only shows up once a month?" Ted remarked as he and Billie sat opposite Rebecca in her office, "And it never skips a month?"

"Only if you're pregnant," Billie corrected him.

"Well, shoot, I gotta check out this wine delivery service," Ted sighed, "Sounds like a real corker."

"Did you hear about Nathan?" Rebecca asked.

"I did." Ted nodded.

"What do we think happened there?"

"Well, boss, I'm like an incomplete list of Madeline Kahn's best films, I ain't got no clue," Ted told them, "And it ain't really none of my business anyhow."

"I think it is very much your business when you think about all the tomfoolery he put you through," Billie corrected him.

"Ted, I mean this in the nicest way possible, but you suck at girl talk," Rebecca told him honestly.

"I hate to say it, but she's right," Billie sighed.

"I know, I just don't like gossip," Ted told the two women.

"It's not gossip, it's speculation," Rebecca assured him.

"I've actually been hearing rumblings of inappropriate workplace behaviour over at West Ham," Trent, who was sat on Billie's left, told the group.

"See, excellent girl talk," Rebecca remarked.

"But do we think Nate's actually capable of that?" Billie frowned, glancing between the two men who were sitting on either side of her as though they were her dads at a parent-teacher meeting.

"Nah."

"Good afternoon!" Higgins exclaimed as he entered the room, "I heard some interesting scuttlebutt last night."

"I don't like gossip, but my butt don't mind a little scuttle," Ted remarked.

"Go on, Leslie."

"Edwin Akufo's back in town," Higgins told them.

"Slimy prick," Billie scoffed.

"Apparently he's sniffing around about trying to create a Super League of some sort," Higgins explained.

"Where did you hear this?" Rebecca asked.

"Well, Rebecca, I am Director of Football Operations, and a bunch of us DFOs have a little jazz jam band we call 'The Directors of Beboperations,'" Higgins explained, "Akufo came up at rehearsal."

"This is not good," Rebecca sighed.

"The band bit though, Higgins," Billie interjected, "That's fucking genius."

"Thank you, Billie," Higgins smiled, holding his hand to his chest.

"I'm sorry, why is it so bad that a billionaire wants to put together a bunch of superheroes to fight crime?" Ted asked.

"Ted, you're thinking of the Justice League," Trent reminded him.

"Dang it, yeah I am."

"Super League is when the world's biggest and wealthiest teams decide to compete against each other," Trent explained.

"So, not only would David never get to face Goliath, the Davids could cease to exist altogether," Higgins explained.

"And I love David Tennant too much to let that happen," Billie sighed.

"I wouldn't be surprised if Rupert was involved in this," Rebecca remarked as her phone began to buzz, displaying her phone screen to the group, "Speak of the devil."

"Oh, it was Rupert," Ted nodded as Rebecca declined the call.

"Yes."

"Okay, I thought it was the actual devil for a second," Ted told the group.

"I mean, you never see them both in the same room at the same time," Billie sighed.

Uncle's Day first came about when Phoebe was a toddler and Hannah was trying to find a way to distract her daughter from the fact that she didn't have anyone in her life worthy of a father's day celebration. Phoebe's father fell into the same category of men as Brad, he wasn't worth wasting breath over. He was notoriously bad at commitment, he'd often 'forgotten' his and Hannah's anniversaries as well as Phoebe's third birthday, which as you might imagine, didn't go down well with Roy and Billie.

So Billie came to the conclusion that Phoebe should be able to celebrate the most positive male role model in her life, her Uncle Roy. It was something Billie would've loved as a child, to celebrate everything her big brother did for her, so to give Phoebe that opportunity, well she supposed in many ways she was doing it for the eight year old brunette girl who'd sit by the window at the start of the off season for an entire day, waiting to see her big brother's car pull into the estate.

"So, what do you give me out of ten?" Billie smiled at Jamie as she parked up outside her sister's house, having driven to St George's Park near Birmingham to collect Jamie before driving him back. She'd got herself insured on Alfie's car, given that she didn't have her own, despite passing her driving test at eighteen.

"In general or for driving?" Jamie smirked as he sat in the passenger seat, delighted to be in Billie's company again and to have secured a free pass from the England squad's rigorous training schedule.

"Driving, obviously," Billie rolled her eyes with a smile.

"Oh, I'd give you about a seven," Jamie replied.

"You wanna get the train back later, pretty boy?" Billie raised her eyebrows at him.

"Fine, you're a ten," Jamie was quick to reply, "But you do drive this Mini like you're driving a Lambo."

"I learnt to drive in my brother's, the footballer's car, what do you expect?" Billie smirked, "Come on, we best not keep them waiting."

The pair climbed out of the car, Billie was dressed in a brown long sleeve top and blue jeans while Jamie wore his England training kit. Jamie was quick to grab Billie's gift bag and the gift box he'd brought with him from St George's Park, following Phoebe's instructions not to arrive empty handed.

When Billie had mentioned Uncle's Day to Jamie, she'd never imagined that he'd try and succeed in getting a day's grace from training. England camps were intense and players were only allowed to leave under exceptional circumstances. So when Jamie told her that he'd be able to join her, she simply assumed Gareth Southgate was a big Roy Kent fan.

"So, you feeling good about the match?" Billie asked as they made their way up towards Hannah's front door.

"Yeah, I'm feeling good, the boys are all top lads, I thought it'd be proper cliquey," Jamie told her as he rang the doorbell, "I had lunch with Kane and Maguire yesterday, they're fucking legends."

"I'm so proud of you, pretty boy," Billie grinned up at him. .

The door opened and stood before them was Phoebe, a delighted grin on her face, "Auntie Billie, Uncle Jamie, you're here!"

"Hello, Pheebs," Billie wrapped her niece in a hug, "How's tricks?"

"We've just started," Phoebe told them both before giving Jamie a quick hug.

"Alright, kiddo?" Jamie grinned at his niece.

"Come inside."

"Is that your Range Rover out the front?" Jamie asked Phoebe as she led them down the hallway.

"No, it's my mum's," Phoebe told him.

"Ah, alright," Jamie nodded with a smile as they reached the kitchen doorway, met with the sight of Roy and Hannah sitting at her kitchen table, "Hiya, you alright?"

"Sorry we're late," Billie smiled as she wrapped her sister in a hug, "Jamie was getting a massage when I got there."

"Sports therapy massage, babe," Jamie reminded her.

"You'd think it was a hotel," Billie quipped, glancing back at Jamie, "A massage's still a massage."

"It's okay, you can sit down next to Uncle Roy," Phoebe told the pair, gesturing for Jamie to sit in the chair beside Roy.

"Hello, Uncle Roy," Jamie grinned as he sat down with Billie on his left and Roy on his right.

"What the fuck is he doing here?" Roy huffed, glancing between Phoebe and Jamie.

"He's Billie's boyfriend," Phoebe reminded him, "But I also had to invite your best friend."

"He's not my best friend," Jamie and Roy disagreed in unison.

"Well, you talk about him a lot, and you spend every day together," Phoebe told him as Billie and Jamie both smiled at Roy in intrigue.

"Well, he's not," Roy replied.

"So, who's your best friend, Uncle Jamie?" Phoebe asked, "Not including Auntie Billie."

"Er, probably Isaac," Jamie answered.

"Fuck off," Roy quipped.

"He is," Jamie retorted.

"That's a pound, Uncle Roy," Phoebe remarked.

"Bill me."

"Okay," Phoebe replied, making a mental note to add to her tally, "Now open Jamie's gift."

"It's stupid, it's dumb, I don't know," Jamie rambled as he handed the box over to Roy.

"He's not even told me what it is, Pheebs," Billie whispered.

Roy opened the box, looking down at the neatly folded football shirt, "It's your original England kit from the 2014 World Cup," Jamie told him, "Your name's on the back."

"Fucking softy," Billie muttered under her breath with a smile, handing Phoebe a pound coin.

"I got 'em to change the E to a U," Jamie added.

Billie watched as Roy took in the notion of the gift, something so considered by a man who two years ago he'd considered his nemesis. But Jamie wasn't making the effort out of obligation to get along with the family of his girlfriend, but because he wanted to, because deep down, he considered Roy Kent a friend.

"I love it," Roy nodded in approval.

"Oh," Phoebe exhaled in realisation, "Yeah, you owe me a pound, Jamie."

"But I didn't say nothing," Jamie frowned.

"No, but you made me think it, and that's basically the same thing," Phoebe told him.

"Yeah, fair play," Jamie nodded, handing her a pound coin.

"Okay, my turn," Phoebe smiled, handing Roy her present.

"Alright, who's that?" Roy pointed to the excessive ribbon before he began to open the parcel.

"Good wrapping, that," Jamie nodded in approval.

"Wow," Billie exhaled as her brother held up a brightly coloured tie dye t-shirt.

"I made it at school," Phoebe told him proudly, "The colours spell your name, red, orange, yellow, Roy."

"She's been very excited to give it to you," Hannah nodded, hoping that her notoriously dark palettes brother would give Phoebe's gift his approval.

"What do you think?" Phoebe grinned.

"Well, I mean I fucking love it," Jamie remarked with a smile, as Phoebe held out her hand he was quick to hand her another pound coin, "It was worth it."

"Well, Royo?" Billie smiled.

"Thank you," Roy smiled painfully.

"Okay, Mum, Billie and I are going to put on our costumes for the performance," Phoebe stood up from her seat.

"Heads up, team, there is an intermission," Hannah assured Roy and Jamie before she followed Phoebe out of the room.

"You didn't say nothing about a performance," Jamie smirked at Billie.

"Keeping you on your toes, Tartt," Billie told him as she ran a hand through his hair, "Just the way you like it."

"Auntie Billie!" Phoebe called out from the front room.

"Duty calls," Billie smiled, kissing Jamie quickly before hurrying out of the room.

Jamie sighed, watching as she left the room, "Billie is fit," He smirked, knowing it would frustrate Roy.

"I will cut your eyes out," Roy huffed, regardless of the fact that Jamie had been in a relationship with her for over a year, so to say such a thing was hardly out of character, yet as much as it supposedly pained Roy to admit it, he didn't hate the idea of calling Jamie Tartt family if it made his youngest sister happy.