❧ synopsis: keeping a relationship under covers isn’t an easy feat. when a popular, successful jock of a college, who has many obsessive fans, dates an average student, they decide that it’s better to keep their relationship secret due to safety reasons, but when the jock starts to become more ignorant of how their s/o is feeling, what might happen to their barely stable relationship?
❧ a/n: this is an unedited fic, as always and I didn’t know how to end it because I had two endings in mind. I might write both endings (angst and fluff) or maybe I’ll let you guys suffer lmao I’m kidding I originally was writing a blurb about the reader hiding their emotions/hiding their tears by feigning happiness, but I ended up writing like a 2500+ word fic lmao. also if some shit seems wack, it’s because I posted this on my phone.
alternate fluff ending here: let them flow
masterlist prompt list add yourself on my taglist!
Swerving through the large crowd, you found yourself a seat on the filled bleachers, squeezing to fit in the front rows to spot your boyfriend. Looking about, you located your brunette partner jogging into the field arms raised in the air, pointing towards the crowd you were hidden in. He waved his hand mindlessly, eyes scanning the ocean of screaming schoolmates and “fangirls.” His gaze finally fell on you, and his face lit up, bringing a pink haze to your cheeks as he blew a kiss in your direction. The girls sat beside you screamed out, pretending to catch his kiss and sending one back.
You and Tom decided to keep your relationship under covers, due to the overly obsessive “fangirls.” Both of you knew it would be the best option to keep you safe. If you were ever injured or threatened by one of his “fangirls,” Tom wouldn’t be able to forgive himself.
Tom held the leather ball in the crook of his arm, with the other pushing his way through the attacking team. Calculating his success, he dove into a touchdown, scoring him and his team the winning point.
The anticipating crowd jumped up, cheering loudly and hugging one another, whereas the visitor team’s crowd let out a loud, mutual sigh of disappointment.
You jumped out of your seat, screaming out your lungs as you stared, wide-eyed, at your beaming boyfriend. His teammates had lifted him into the air, tossing him about. You giggled as he caught your eye, slyly winking at you.
Lost in your own world, you almost ran down to where Tom was before you saw a hoard of girls jumping and reaching their arms out to grab at him. Frowning, you walked away from the crowd to retreat to the warmth of Tom’s car.
You scrolled through the collection of images you and Tom had had together, warmly smiling at the memories. You let out a breathy laugh, selecting on one specific memory: Tom’s head laid on your lap, eyes shut, and lips puckered lightly as he let out even breaths.
The car door beside you opened, shaking you out of your train of thought.
“Hey,” your eyes were met with the blue pupils you weren’t expecting.
“Haz?” You looked behind him, hoping to find your beloved boyfriend.
“Tom — um — he told me to drive you back to the dorms, said he would be heading to the celebratory party,” Harrison explained, eyes shaking with concern and sympathy.
“Oh, I understand,” your smile not quite making it to your eyes.
“He was being hoarded by his,” Haz hesitates, “fangirls. He didn’t want you to get involved.”
“It’s all good, Hazzy. No need to worry about me,” you let out a feigned laugh.
You stepped into the warm building, waving Harrison goodbye. Another football victory, same schedule.
You go to Tom’s game to support and cheer him on, Tom wins, you avoid him, Tom’s “fangirls” hoard him, you wait in Tom’s car, Harrison comes instead of Tom, Harrison brings you back to your dorm while Tom goes to his party, you fall asleep in your own arms: the ‘Tom’s football victory’ schedule, named and created by you.
To say the least, you weren’t fond of the last half of the schedule. You always were left alone to celebrate Tom’s victory on your own, while Tom was doing who-knows-what at the afterparty.
In full honesty, you were slowly growing tired of hiding your affection for one another. You didn’t know how much longer you could hold onto this style of dating. If the pair of you were going to date, you would date publicly and however you wanted, whether it meant risking your safety or not. Besides, you weren’t some helpless girl that doesn’t and can’t protect herself.
The next day, you woke up with an aching head and puffy eyes. Groaning, you looked into your mirror located at the corner of your room. You flinched at the sight of your pink, tear-stained cheeks and tangled, mop hair. Pushing yourself off the soft mattress, you stumbled into your bathroom, prepping a warm shower to start your day off fresh.
With your laptop and notebook resting in your arms, against your chest, you made your way to your next lecture. You walked sluggishly across the large campus, occasionally catching a glimpse of passing football team members.
A specific group you walked past caught your attention. You saw the familiar brunette curls in your peripheral vision, immediately making you turn your gaze towards it. You saw his warm smile as he chuckled with his group of friends, some of his “fangirls” giggling along with the group.
There Tom stood, laughing and joking about with his peers, radiating happiness. He was basking in the attention he received from his friends and “fans.”
You tried to catch his eye, and you swore you did for a split second, but he only walked past you as if you weren’t even there. Not even a hidden smile or wink of acknowledgment was sent your way.
Your walking came to a stop as you frowned at your boyfriend’s back. You wanted to shout out his name, call for his attention. You wanted to nuzzle into his chest, breathing in his scent. You wanted to look into his chocolate-pooled eyes, see the twinkle of adoration as he stared at you. Nevertheless, you couldn’t. You couldn’t do anything with Tom in public, for you were just another girl on campus, trying to get by, and Tom was the successful jock with a bright future ahead.
You walked into the large room, taking a seat, conveniently, in front of Tom. This time, you were the one to not spare him a single glance, albeit he probably wasn’t expecting or looking for one.
You tried your best to listen and focus on the lecture, but the consistent whispers behind your back began to nag at your patience. You leaned your down further into your notes, as if it could fix the slowly kindling fire in you. Checking the clock, you saw that only five minutes of the lecture had passed, and your professor had barely said anything.
“Five minutes? I swear it felt like half of the lecture had gone by. And the professor. I swear he had just said like tons of important information,” you muttered to yourself under your breath, catching a few students’ gazes.
You gently pounded a fist into your temple, forcing your attention onto the lined sheets of paper on your desk. You expected to see notes, not illegible scribbles. You silently groaned, switching the sheet for a new, clean page. You took a deep breath and began jotting down the key points of the presentation that was being projected onto the large whiteboard.
A feminine voice cleared their throat beside you, “Excuse me.”
You looked up from your work, a glare on your face as you were pulled out of your focus once again.
“Can I help you?” You asked, irritated.
“Uh, yes, you can. You can help me by moving yourself to that seat over there,” she pointed at an empty seat across the room, “and giving this,” she placed her hand on the desk, atop you notes, “seat to me.”
You scoffed, “And why should I?”
“Oh, honey,” you cringed at the nickname, “Tommy, here,” she nodded towards Tom, “shouldn’t have to suffer by looking at your terrible hair. Like, honestly, do you even care for your looks?”
You were practically fuming in your seat, but to avoid trouble, you responded with a monotonous voice, “I’m sure “Tommy” can take care of himself. Spare us both the inconvenience, and go sit yourself on that empty seat because if you couldn’t tell, I’m occupying this spot.”
“Who do you think you are?” She shouted, hand crumpling your notes.
Furrowing your brows, you grabbed at your notes, hoping to spare them.
“Move your ugly ass before I kick you off this seat,” she threatened, pulling you by your hair.
The professor stopped talking, glaring at the pair of you. You took it as a sign to shut up and not fight back.
Fist clenching, nails creating red crescents in your palm, you stood up, pushing the girl off of you, ignoring her gasp. You grabbed your notes and laptop, turning to see if Tom would defend you, but when you saw his passive expression, you let out a quiet laugh of disappointment, carrying yourself to the back of the room.
For the rest of the class, you stood in the back, writing your notes with blurry, tear-filled vision. Although you were still in shock due to the event that had unfolded minutes into the lecture, you wouldn’t let it falter how you were doing in school.
As soon as you were dismissed, you bolted out of the room, heading to your safe haven on campus.
Not many people, if any, knew about the hidden garden located within the campus’s vast park. You had only discovered it by accident when you were a freshman looking for your way around campus.
The first thought you had when you walked in was that you were transported into a different dimension. Thinking back on it, you were naive to think that, but you were still justified. Anyone would think such a beautiful place couldn’t belong to the aggressivity and rashness of this world. The variant shades of light green and pastel pink flowers growing between the weeds of grass gave the place a heavenly feeling, followed by the mist that sparkled under the sunlight.
You dropped yourself at the thick tree’s stump, letting your notes and laptop slip out of your grasp. You cried into your knees, pouring out all of your stresses. Your breaths were short and heaved, occasional hiccups bubbling from your lips. Your sobs slowly lulled you closer to sleep, emotional and physical fatigue catching up to you. That is, until you heard the recognizable clang of the door handle hitting against the wooden door.
“Darling,” the accented voice you longed to hear spoke up.
Quickly wiping away your tears and sniffling away any evidence of your sorrow, you stood up, “Tommy!” A feigned smile lay on your supple skin as you ran over to your boyfriend, embracing him in your arms, “What’s up?”
“Are you alright? I’m sorry I didn’t speak up for you during class. I should’ve told that girl to get her hands off you,” he stroked your hair, “She didn’t hurt you, did she?”
Letting a pained giggle out, you shook your head, “Nope, I’m fine. You know how strong I am.”
“I really, really did want to speak up, but you know that we should keep our relationship under covers, for your sake,” he spoke gently, placing a kiss on your head.
You scowled into his shirt but kept up your cheerful facade, chirping, “Mhm, safety.”
“I knew you’d understand,” he sighed. His hold on you weakened, “I should get going, though. The group will start to wonder where I’ve gone.”
You frowned, pulling away from him.
“Don’t be like that, darling,” he cooed, “I’ll come over tonight. Don’t worry.”
You let out a sarcastic laugh, “Of course, as you always do.”
His brows furrowed at your sudden mood shift, “What are you on, darling?”
“Oh, nothing,” you chirp, hopping back to the tree, collecting your notes and laptop. “Go ahead, meet with your friends. Leave me behind like you always do,” you murmur the last half.
“Love?” His voice neared you, and you barely registered the stray tears betraying you, rolling down your peachy cheeks.
Quickly bringing up a hand to wipe the wetness away, you keep your back facing Tom.
“Shouldn’t you be going? Don’t want your friends to worry,” you laughed, lightly. A hand placed itself on your shoulder, the sudden contact startling you. “You scared me, Tommy. You shouldn’t do that,” you giggle, hiding your true emotions, “You know how easily scared I am.”
“Darling, can you look at me?” He asked, quietly, concern lacing his tone.
“What for, Tommy?” You inquired, nervously laughing.
“You’re acting quite… strange,” he explained.
“No need to worry about me, bubs. I’m as peachy as always,” you quipped, shoulders bouncing in emphasis.
“I’m giving you one more chance to turn, or I will do it for you,” he said, sternly.
You stayed, unmoving, forcing Tom to turn you with his raw strength. At first, you tried to fight it, but you came to the revelation that there was no way you could overpower him.
When you met his warm, liquid eyes, you felt your own tear up, and suddenly, your shoes were an intriguing sight.
“Baby, please look at me,” he whispered, hands rubbing up and down your arms.
You shook your head in denial, trying to keep your weakness hidden.
“It breaks me to see you this way,” he lifted your face with a finger to your chin. His thumb moved to wipe away your crystal tears.
“Then leave,” you hissed, weakly.
“W-What?” Tom stuttered at the unforeseen reply.
“I’m tired, Tom. I’m tired of hiding, of you ignoring me and me, you. How long are we going to do this? It’s so stupid, all of it,” you dropped your head again, this time of fatigue.
“B-But, you know why we’re doing this-” you cut him off.
“I know, and I can’t help but think that this was a stupid choice,” you motioned between the two of you, “You’re barely around me, and on campus, you don’t even acknowledge me. On the slim chance I do have you to myself, it can only last for so long. At this point, it feels like we’re not even together.”
“I-I don’t understand. What are you trying to say?” Fear filled his eyes as the pit in his stomach became more and more noticeable.
“I think it would be better if-” you stuttered in a breath, “if we took a break.”
“Why? Just because we’re hiding our relationship? You know why I- we chose to keep it secret,” he rushed out his words, hands gripping yours.
“Do I? Do I really? Today was display enough that even though we act like we don’t know each other, I’ll still get harassed by those “fans” of yours. Not to mention, you saw it all unravel, and what did you do? Nothing. There’s no practicality to keeping our relationship hidden because either way, some “fans” will go overboard no matter who the person. Also, I think I showed that I can defend myself from crazy people when I pushed that girl off of me today,” you spoke, ferocity and resentment spurring you on.
“I know I messed up when I didn’t help you, but I thought about our relationship-” you scoffed.
“So what? Even if we weren’t in a relationship, you should’ve helped a girl out. Especially when she’s getting harassed because of you,” you jabbed a finger into his chest.
“Tell me how to make it better. I want to make it better. Don’t end us, please,” he begged, gripping your hand tighter.
“Stop, Tom. I told you that I want to take a break. Besides, it won’t be any different to how our normal relationship is,” you laughed. Pulling your arm out of his grasp, you walked away, “Now, I won’t have to waste any tears on you anymore.”
@danicarosaline requested: Hi pretty!! i saw your requests are open so may i please request a jock Tom x reader! Tom is a big softy and the captain of his football team and reader is a tough ‘not taking shits from anybody’ type of person? Like Tom gets in an argument with a team mate and he’s being all nice and calm about it but reader thinks his team mate deserves a good punch in the face so she punches him and it shocks the entire team and Tom himself even though he expected it!!
Warnings: F L U F F, not sure that the football talk is 100% accurate, all I know about American football is that Tom Brady's a quarterback, their jerseys are cool and apparently I'm supposed to cheer for the Pats? (yeah, that's my dad's fault), B99 references (i fucking love that show), cursing, a bit of violence ig
Word Count: 2.3k words (why can i not write short things?)
Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes
A/N: so sorry it took so long to get this out! also, i got waaaaaay to invested in this... oopsie
Masterlist
You ran across the field as people all around you celebrated with only one goal in mind: kiss your boyfriend.
You and Tom had been dating for almost seven months now, to many people's surprise. The entire school thought you'd be together for a week tops, but you surpassed all their expectations by becoming the longest standing couple in junior year (not that it was hard, high schoolers change partners like discardable gloves).
Tom was one of Sunset High's best and brightest, loved by the teachers, captain of the football team, and the object of many's affection.
You, however, were nothing like that. You hated sports (everyone knows art's better anyway), social interactions were your personal little slice of hell, and everyone was too scared to approach you since you threatened to gut Charles after he accidentally forgot to give you back your pencil.
All in all, there was no way you two could stay together.
There was no way you could even make a friendship work, let alone a romantic relationship.
But then there was that fateful summer night...
Your mind ran at a thousand miles an hour as you rocked in the park's nest swing. The stars looming over you were the only thing keeping you from spiraling, and after an hour of watching them, the peace in your mind was crumbling.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there."
You sat up on the swing and looked to your right where stood a sheepish-looking Tom.
"It's okay, I should probably leave anyway..."
"No! I mean, it's okay, you were here first I didn't mean to disturb you."
You cast your eyes down until he spoke again.
"You go to my school, right? (Y/n)? We were in the same English class in freshman year."
"Yeah, I think so... I'm surprised you remember me, we didn't have any classes together last year..."
He huffed out a laugh and leaned against the support beam, hands in his pockets.
"It's kinda hard to forget someone like you. You stood up to the teacher on the first day after he yelled at a kid and spent the next year having actual coherent debates about the books that most of the class never even read, let alone understood. You're kind of amazing."
You ducked your head once more to try to cover the blush on your cheeks, biting your lip.
"Thanks."
He nodded and took a deep breath, then sat in front of you and pushed so the swing was rocking softly, always catching it before it hit his face.
You giggled a bit and sat criss-cross applesauce, back straight, your mother's words permanently etched into your brain.
"So, what are you doing alone in the town's most secluded park at midnight?"
"Oh, you know, questioning my life choices, freaking out because in three weeks we're going back to school while simultaneously feeling stir crazy after having nothing cool to do all summer, regretting ever being born, the usual. What about you?"
"Getting crushed by everyone's expectations, feeling constricted cause I have to set a good example for my little brothers, freaking out cause I have no idea what I want to do with my life, the usual."
A comfortable silence settled between you.
"Do our lives really suck or is it just the teenagers in us that dramatize everything?"
He huffed out a laugh.
"I don't know, tell me your story and I'll let you know."
You scooched to the side and patted the now empty spot on the too-small swing so he could lay down next to you. Looking at the stars seemed like a better idea than looking at him.
"I never really liked school, people are jerks, cafeteria food is disgusting at best, I have no friends -not that I care about that, I'm better off alone. Still, it's better than being home. When my father isn't working in his study, he's berating me about getting better grades, even though I'm a straight-A student, not that he cares enough to actually know that. My mother's usually either gossiping with her other rich friends or telling me to correct my posture, dress better, act like a lady, it's infuriating...
"My older brother, the only person in that family that I genuinely like, left for MIT today, so I guess I'm just now realizing that I'm really... alone. I'll have to suffer through my father's lectures about getting high grades and act like someone I'm not so my mother doesn't take away everything I love until I "learn to act like a respectable woman". Jake used to get them to lay off me, but now he's not here. Sometimes I wonder why they even adopted me if I'm such a bad daughter. It just sucks."
You felt his hand twitch next to yours and his eyes on your face.
"Your turn."
He took a shuddering breath before speaking.
"My parents are amazing, they really are, they only want what's best for me, but sometimes it's a little much. They constantly remind me of going to training, doing my homework, studying for tests, and even though they always say it's okay, I see the disappointment in their eyes when my grades lower even by a single point.
"My little brothers look up to me a lot, and they're always telling me how much they want to be just like me when they grow up. I know they mean it in the best possible way, but it's just that much more pressure. I just... feel the need to always be the best at everything. The best football player, the best captain, the best student, the kindest person in that school, most helpful... it's all a bit much."
This time, it was you who were looking at his profile while he gazed at the stars.
"It's okay to feel overwhelmed, Tom. It doesn't matter that they have the best intentions, they're still putting too much pressure on you and you deserve the chance to relax."
He turned towards you and for the first time that night, you realized just how close you were.
"You're not a bad daughter just because you have different interests. I, for one, think you are a strong and independent woman who doesn't need to change because of some mere peasants. You're a queen... You deserve someone that'll treat you as one."
Your breath caught in your throat as you locked eyes with him.
"Wanna make a deal?"
You nodded tentatively, though at this point you'd probably agree to murder someone as long as he kept looking at you that way.
"I'll be your friend, give you something to do whenever you need it, save you from your asshole parents and remind you of just how awesome you are every day..."
"And in return?"
"And in return, you'll say stuff like what you said before when I get too stuck in my head, save me from my so-called friends when they're being jerks, and come to every practice with me so you have something to do and I have someone to make silly faces at."
"I'm pretty sure there are a thousand girls in that school that would kill to have you make silly faces at them."
"Maybe so, but they aren't you. A lock of your hair is worth more than all of them combined."
You bit your lip and smiled.
"Okay."
"Cool."
"Cool."
He pecked you softly on the lips before he lost his nerve, quick and fleeting, feather-light but strong enough to leave fires in its wake. You pulled him back and gave him a slightly longer kiss before setting your head on his shoulder and going back to stargazing, now with someone to keep you company.
Three weeks later, you walked into school hand in hand and haven't let go since.
"Tommy!"
You jumped into his arms, ignoring the smell of sweat and how it would probably cling to your clothes.
"You did so good baby!"
He kissed you straight on the lips, not minding his teammate's wolf-whistles, having grown used to them already.
"I had a pretty good motivation."
"Oh?"
"Mm-hm, my girl told me she'd bake me cookies if I won this match, and I really like her cookies."
"Sounds like you have a great girlfriend."
"The best."
You kissed him again and he smiled when he felt the fabric of his spare jersey adorning your figure.
"Yo, Holland!"
You forced apart by Teddy's call, one of the newer players. Since you went to every single practice, you knew that Teddy was being an ass lately, always wanting the glory, never passing the ball to his teammates. If it weren't for Tom's skill as captain of the team, he would've cost them most matches, including this one.
"Why didn't you pass me the ball?"
"Pardon?"
"That last play, I was free and you passed the ball to Harrison even though he almost lost it. You should have passed it to me, we almost lost because you want to make your useless bestie feel included!"
"Johnson was closing in on you, if I'd passed it to you, we would have lost for sure. Passing it to Harrison bought me the time I needed to get out of danger. It was purely strategical, you would know that if you paid attention to your teammates instead of playing all on your own. Haz is an amazing player and I don't treat him differently just because he's my best friend. I'd like you to apologize to him, please, it's not kind to insult your teammates."
You admired the fact that he managed to remain calm and collected throughout the whole conversation, looking like the embodiment of 'I'm not mad, I'm disappointed'. You, however, were not having such an easy time keeping your cool, hands firmly clenched at your side.
"The hell it was! You just feel threatened by me because you'll never be as good as me, so you never pass me the ball, it's ridiculous!"
"Okay, buddy, you need to back the hell off and close your mouth before I punch it shut."
His eyes flickered to you and he rose a brow mockingly.
"Oh, your little slut's standing up for you know? I always knew you were a chicken, guess my theory's been pro-"
You cut him off with a punch to the nose, smiling when you heard the satisfying crack of his bones and his howls of pain.
A collective 'ooh' came from the crowd, and they took a few steps back (excluding Tom of course, who was only looking at you with wide eyes).
"What the fuck?"
"I warned you, didn't I?"
You smirked evilly as Teddy was pulled away by the coach to check his injury.
"You're a bitch!"
"Baddest of them all, sweetheart. Have a fun time at the hospital!"
The whole crowd had gone silent by the time you turned back around, seemingly satisfied with your vengeance.
"What?"
You tilted your head in confusion at the awestruck looks on the team's faces.
"You broke his nose!"
"Uh-huh."
"With just your hand."
"Uh-huh."
"Since when are you so violent?"
You were actually kind of offended at that.
"I know that I bring you guys snacks after practice, but do none of you hear when I threaten other people? It's a daily occurrence."
The rubbed their necks sheepishly.
"Well, you see..."
Haz started, seemingly measuring his words.
"You're kind of like Rosa from Brooklyn Nine-Nine. No one actually knows what you're capable of, no one thinks you'd actually kill someone, but we're also kind of too scared to test you, so we just... wonder."
"Well, when you're done wondering, go take a shower so we can go celebrate, I'm hungry."
They all scrambled away in a chorus of 'yes ma'am' before you turned back to Tom with a smile on your face.
"You didn't have to punch him, you know?"
"Yeah, but I've been wanting to for weeks now."
He huffed out a laugh and kissed your forehead.
"How're your knuckles?"
"A bit sore, but I'm pretty sure that if we put some ice it'll be good, the rings took most of the impact."
You wiggled your hand, showing off the array of rings covering your fingers in what you deemed to be an aesthetically pleasing way.
"I love you, babygirl."
You kissed him, smiling into his lips.
"I love you too. Now go, shower!"
You patted his butt and laughed at the look he threw you, standing next to the field while you waited for them to get out.
Their coach came to stand next to you and you smiled at him, having taken a liking for him. He was a good teacher and treated the team well.
"Coach Jeffords."
"(Y/n)."
"What's the verdict?"
"Nurse says it's broken but we'll only know the full extent of his injuries after he gets examined at the ER. He's on his way there as we speak."
You nodded.
"You'll be pleased to know that he's been taken off the team and suspended for a week for unruly behavior. His parents aren't going to press charges since they feel it's deserved."
You smirked evilly.
"I'd advise you to watch out for Pembroke. He's starting to become a nuisance. If he keeps it up, he might be next."
He nodded, fighting back his smile even though you knew damn well he agreed.
"I'll do my best."
"And I'll do mine."
"(Y/n)! Ready to go?"
You nodded in goodbye at the coach and walked over to a freshly showered Tom, interlacing your fingers.
"Always."
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