RP: To Retirement
Who: Cooper & Marcus What: After Game Drinks When: February 24th (very backdated!) Where: Pitch to Pub Warnings: Language
Cooper had seen Marcus from across the pitch, while the Bats and Wasp match had been going on. He was playing shadow to a ref but he had noticed his old teammate. It seemed that he had found another way to keep the sport around as well, he was going to be a ref! Cooper had thought about it for a bit when he had first gotten hurt but he knew that his true love was playing the very position that he loved so much. It had been a hard decision for Coop to make, but he was loving coaching. The Bats had snatched him up before he had really had a chance to flex his coaching muscles but he had learned a lot on their team. He hadn’t been with the team long but Coop was already looking to switch, while he loved the Bats his end goal was to end up back with the Magpies. He assumed that shot was years away, he was hoping maybe after Gen had retired from the sport or switched team.
The Bats had pulled out a win this time, while the team was off celebrating, Cooper had hung back in hopes of finding Marcus hanging around after the game. It was just his luck that he caught the man walking out at the same time that he was. “Marcus!” Cooper called out, using two hands to hold around his mouth and scream to get the other man’s attention. It was ridiculous, he could have used his wand to either apparate closer or just enhance his voice but he had chosen to use his hands as a megaphone and scream.
When he thought he had the attention of his old teammate, he jogged to catch up. “How’ve you been?! I saw you on the pitch and had to track you down, it’s been ages! I’m assistant coaching for the Bats.” He motioned behind him to the pitch, as if it explained everything. When he’d gotten hurt in May of 2007, it had been all over the papers. Cooper had avoided reading any of the articles but he knew they were out there. He tended to just assume everyone knew about it since it kept him from having to explain about it all again. “It’s good to see you again! Would you maybe want to grab a pint? Catch up?”
Marcus's head whipped around as he heard his name bellowed. Merlin, that was loud, but it was also unmistakable. Buoyed by being on the pitch and getting stuck into the game, like some sort of contact high, Marcus smiled widely at Cooper's exuberance.
"Benji!" The other man had retired out of the game a year before him, he knew that, but Marcus had lost track of him while wallowing in his own retirement. "Yeah? That's great. You always did have a good arm." He shrugged his broom bag higher up onto his shoulder. "I've been good. Be better with a pint in my hand, though." A drink was the perfect suggestion. "Where d'you fancy going?"
Cooper grinned at hearing that name, the only people who really called him Benji anymore were people he knew from school or his sister, it was always so good to hear. "Thanks, I'm teaching the new blood to have one just as good." Hopefully, anyway. The team had won today though he knew the beaters had not done as well as he would have liked. That however was a problem for another day and time, when he could push his beaters to try harder. Currently his only problem was where would they get the best pint?
"There's a place around the corner, though it'll be crammed with players. There's always the tried and true, V-bar or the Leaky?" Cooper wasn't ever picky about where he got his pint, he tended to frequent places that his friends would go to most often.
"Yeah, they pulled a few good stunts out there today. Good aim." Now that he thought about it, some of the moves had been pure Vipond.
Marcus ran a hand over his shorn hair, inwardly debating. They could go to V-Bar and he could see Lisa which would kind of be killing two birds with one stone. But if he wanted to catch up with an old friend then he didn't want to be distracted by his sexy girlfriend and if he chose the bar nearest to hers then he would feel a bit guilty.
"The local's fine. Should be a good atmosphere." And if he couldn't play himself, he could enjoy being around those who did. "Is it walking distance? I can't remember."
Cooper couldn't hide that proud smile hearing that his team had been good, he was seeing a difference with his coaching and it was exciting. He had never been on this side of things before. He rather enjoyed seeing the direct results of his efforts trying to beat it into their head.
"I believe it is," He said with a quick nod, "We can definitely make it there from here. Did you want to get rid of the gear." He motioned towards the brooms that Marcus had been carrying. "I can meet you over there, if you wanted?" He didn't want to be that person that hung around, following after like a lost pup while someone tried to do their job or something. He knew that could get annoying having someone who was already off work over your shoulder like that.
"Er..." Marcus didn't want to leave his kit bag at the pitch and if Cooper was right about the pub being busy then it would be best to ditch them before someone got sticky fingers or knocked them around too much. "Tell you what, wait right here and I'll dump them at home. Just give me a sec."
He winked and Disapparated. It took him more than a second to stash his brooms safely at home in Falmouth, but he was still back in less than two minutes. He missed his original departure point by a few metres and strolled back over to Cooper. "Right," he said, hands clapping together. "I'm ready. Lead the way, Coach."
Coop did as he was told, standing there and waiting for Marcus to drop off his bags. He slipped his phone from his pocket to scroll through his list of messages, sliding past Gen who had not sent a single message since December. He couldn't bear to delete the text thread through so he just kept scrolling past it.
Thankfully it hadn't taken Marcus long, he arrived just in time to drag him from his thoughts and he flashed a smile at his friend. "Sure thing, ref." He chuckled as he started to head off in the direction of the pub. "What made you finally take the plunge?" Coop knew it had taken him a few months, at least six, to just get out of the self-pitying funk that he had been in after his injury.
"I was bored. That and the Chudley Cannons." Marcus frowned. "Not the team themselves, but I was watching them play the Wanderers last year and fuck me, the ref made some bad choices. I decided I could do better." The frown blossomed into a smile. "So that's what I'm doing."
He cast Cooper a sideways look at they walked. "And look at you, coaching. I still remember you trying out for the house team. The bat was probably bigger than your arm."
Coop’s brows perked with interest when he said that it was the Chudley Cannons that had decided it, though then when he clarified that it had been the bad calls by the refs that he nodded his head, understanding coloring his expression. “Yeah, that was a miserable game. I’m definitely glad you realized that, some of those refs really need to be replaced already.” Coop had run into it while a player, though it was somehow wildly more frustrating dealing with it now that he was a coach. “How are you liking it? Wildly different from playing, right?”
He shot his friend a wide smile, chuckling and nodding his head. “Hard to imagine that pudgy little thing was me. I knew what I wanted though, damn it. I wanted to be on the damn house team and I wanted to be a beater.” He gave an easy shrug, “I still have this stuffed bludger that my nanny got me as a kid, it was always the goal.” He was proud he had at least accomplished his goal before being taken out of the game, he’d played for his favorite team. “I like coaching though, it’s challenging in different ways. I don’t think my players like my descriptions sometimes. Apparently telling them to just swing the fuckin’ bat like that doesn’t help.” One of his bigger struggles had been being able to articulate how to swing the bats and how to execute the moves. He had definitely gotten better but his first few weeks had been a learning experience.
"Yeah. It's like..." Marcus frowned as he tried to think of a good comparison. "Like trying to write with my right hand." He was left-handed. "In theory, I know how everything works. But I kind of what to switch and do everything the way I'm used to."
Marcus chuckled, shaking his head. "'Just swing the fucking bat' sounds like something I'd say." He probably had back in his Hogwarts days. He just didn't have the patience to be a coach like that in a professional setting, though he'd just about got away when it when he'd captained for Slytherin. "Well, they were swinging those bats pretty fucking well. I know Beaters have thick skulls," he joked, "but something must have got through to them."
Coop went quiet while he thought about that comparison, even looking at his hands a moment to try to imagine it. It was the best analogy that he had heard in a long time. He nodded his head, “I think you’re right. I’ve never been able to explain what felt different about it. I’m glad to know at least one of the refs isn’t just making calls to make ‘em. I look forward to seeing you really in action out there, you’re going to be fantastic.” Coop just knew it, one of those ridiculous knew it his bones sort of feelings.
“Yeah, reminded me of a practice or two.” Coop said with a chuckle, he had maybe not always been the most serious on the pitch so he had been shouted that a few times over the past few years. He grinned a bit wider at the ribbing, “Yeah, apparently no one told me that.” He could make light of his head injury now, over a year later. “I found a way to finally get through to the meatheads,” He lightly knocked on his own head. “I reasoned and got to their level. They’re improving but they won’t be able to touch my stats.” Which was a relief but at the same time he would have loved for them to surpass him.
"You think?" Everyone was saying that he was going to be good as a referee, but it took a bit of work for Marcus to actually believe it. His self-esteem had taken a battering with the end of his career as a player, but as far as he could see that was normal for everyone in their line of work. Quidditch liked to fuck you up in its own special way. "Nice to know there's life after the league, right?"
He smirked as Vipond knocked on his head; yeah, that was about right. "Looks like the Bats are doing alright for themselves this season. Chasers might need a bit more discipline, though."
“Definitely,” Coop nodded his head, chuckling. “We’ll have to make this a thing. If you ref one of my games we’ll go out for drinks.” It’d guarantee that he could see his friend more frequently. “There is, you just have to find it.” It had taken him a while to figure it all out, he was finally happy though.
“They’re not my problem thankfully,” He said with a chuckle as he stepped up to the doors of the pub and pulled it open, walking inside and reaching back to hold the door open for Marcus. As they entered the noise volume rose and Coop shouted over the noise. “Let’s grab a table.” He pointed towards an open booth, “I’ll grab the beers?”
"Deal." He'd be an idiot to turn down an offer like that. Closing himself off with anger at losing his career hadn't done him any good and he'd been enjoying himself more since he'd been engaging more with old friendships. Hell, if he hadn't been talking to Terence more then he wouldn't have been given that push to ask out Lisa. "No guarantees I'll be reffing your matches. Might have to come up with another plan."
The noise hit them at the same time as the smell of beer laced with cigarette smoke. It was bustling with fans and players, so Marcus was glad that he'd taken his brooms home - they were his babies and he didn't want them getting knocked about. "Yeah, I'll watch the table."
“We can always just reach out more.” Coop chuckled, it was easier said than done sometimes but he knew time didn’t really mean much in their friendship. There were just some friendships where you could go years without talking but once you saw each other, time seemed to erase. “Make it a monthly deal or something, an excuse to get out.” It was something that he attempted to do with Hyperion about as frequent.
While Marcus went off to the table, Coop slipped up to the bar and ordered the four pints, heading back to the table a few moments later and setting down across from Marcus. He picked up a pint and took a sip from it. “Where are you stayin’ at now?” He was curious if it was close enough that they might be able to make this monthly arrangement work. His mother had left him her flat in London, he had yet to live anywhere but since then. He hadn’t even remodeled the place.
"I own a place down in Falmouth," Marcus admitted, drawing one of the glasses over in front of him. "Cheers." He took a sip. "Don't think I could live anywhere else. It's where I grew up. Probably have seawater in my blood, y'know?" Grinning, he shrugged. There was no way he was every going to live anywhere away from the sea. Having grown up in Falmouth, Marcus hadn't so much set down roots when he'd bought his house as just moved his roots to another building.
"What about you? I bet you're the city type."
“Cheers.” Coop said as he lifted his pint in front of himself before he took a sip. “You sound like Em, she’s going to live on her houseboat forever.” It might not have been the same water but it was water. He grinned though at having a type, chuckling. “You’re right on the nose. I’ve got my mum’s old flat in London.” He had thought about getting a house when he had proposed to Gen but now that that was so totally over, it definitely wasn’t an option any longer.
“I’ve made a few upgrades over the years. It’s nice though, I don’t think I’ll ever sell it.” It was a piece of his mother that he wouldn’t be able to get back once it was gone. “This season is starting out pretty fantastic, I can’t wait to see which team makes it to the finales. Everyone seems to be on their game. Are you rooting for anyone in particular?”
"A houseboat?" Marcus repeated. If he'd lost track of what had happened with Benjamin over the last few years, he really hadn't got a clue what his twin sister had done since they'd left Hogwarts. "That's an interesting choice. What's she up to these days?"
He gave a thoughtful hum as he considered the current league standings. "Well, look, I've been a Falcons fan since I was in nappies. But I dunno. This year I might have to put some money on United, unless they crack under Wood's pressure."
Cooper chuckled, nodding his head. “A houseboat. It was our mum’s. It was how she left everything when she passed, Em got the houseboat and I got the flat.” He lifted his shoulders in a lazy shrug, before taking another sip from his pint. “Mm, she’s modeling, doing something with healing, creams and other such?” He chuckled, “I swear I know more about what’s going on in her life than I’m letting on, the only thing she doesn’t really like to clue me in on is her dating life.” Which, was likely for the best since she tended to date around while he tended to prefer monogamy.
“I think I’m still holdin’ out for the Magpies.” Which had always been his favorite team, even before he played for them, and before Gen had gotten on the team. He had loved them since Wishes had started taking him to the games. “Though I think I’m supposed to be rooting for the Bats.” His eyes glanced around them to see if any of the players were paying them any mind, and they most definitely were not. Coaches and refs it seemed didn’t matter so much at the pub.
"See, I like to know as little about my sister's life as possible. I'm much happier that way."
Marcus let out a guffaw. "Yeah, you should probably have a bit of loyalty to the team you work for." He took a drink and continued, "I think I just bleed grey." There was no way in hell anyone in their right mind would ever let him referee a match that involved the Falmouth Falcons; he was biased down to his bones.
“I try to know as little as possible,” Coop admitted with a chuckle, “I just know that she has a healthy dating life.”
“You’re never going to ref one of their games.” He chuckled again, taking another sip from his pint. “I have a little loyalty, love the Bats. I can’t deny that Magpies were always my favorite. Since I was younger and my tutor would take us to the games, I’ve always loved them. Playing on their team was finally was such a fucking dream come true, even if it didn’t last terribly long.” Which was why he had toyed with the idea of going back, potentially. Gen was on the team now, he was sure it was a bad idea. He hadn’t even talked to her since the breakup, so he was sure that it was definitely a bad idea if they still hadn’t been able to talk.
Marcus knew that feeling all too well. From being a fan as a child to that first time you officially wore their kit on the pitch, there was nothing in the world like it. He was never going to forget that moment, the roar of the crowd and the way his palms had been sweaty with nerves. "It's hard to turn your back on a lifelong connection. Like you can never escape being a Slytherin."
He should have known if there was one person that understood that feeling, it was Marcus. He had no idea why he hadn’t thought to reach out sooner, he was so glad that fate had stepped in and pushed the two friends together. “Never thought of it that way, you’re right though. I hope to one day maybe get back with the Magpies, even just coaching will be a dream. It’s still at least a few years off though, or at least until my ex leaves the team.” He winced a bit at just mentioning Gen, it was still such a raw subject. It had only been a few months since she had turned down his proposal. “Dating in the league is just a pain in the arse.”
Grimacing, Marcus shook his head. "Can't say I've ever dated in the league much. Probably a good thing." But he knew he should be sympathetic. "Must be rough." Lifting his glass, he chuckled wryly. "There should be an official rule against fucking around with teammates." Unlike Cooper, he had never been in a position to propose to anyone. In fact, he'd rarely dated anyone for more than a couple of months since Silvie back at Hogwarts. "How are you holding up?"
It really had been better when Gen had been on the Quafflepunchers, long distance had oddly worked for them. He chuckled about the rule and teammates, nodding his head. “It’s likely to become one if it ever became an issue. I don’t think enough people do it, so it’s not a problem.” He wasn’t going to point out that he had never gotten to play with Gen, she had transferred to the Magpies just after his injury. There was no reason to poke more at the subject. He just gave an easy shrug, smile still in place. “I’m good, work has been pretty good. The bats aren’t playing badly and I’ve been finding time to get out more.”
"Well, I'm glad you decided to get out after the match tonight." Marcus bordered on sounding sentimental. "It's good to see your skinny arse," he joked with a grin. "Even if I do suddenly feel my age. Here's to retirement."