An AU where Bitty didn’t go to Samwell and instead started working at a bakery in Providence. The bakery is around the same neighbourhood where Tater lives.
Tater starts frequenting the place and soon enough, you guessed it. Bitty and Tater become friends.
The best of friends. The ride or die friends. The I’d hide a body with you friend. But also the how many skittles can you fit in your mouth? Friend.
Tater starts a lot of his stories with ‘B and I…’ 'Took B to’ 'B is’ etc and everybody starts assuming that B is Tater’s girlfriend, until he brings him for a game.
Everybody sort of goes 'oooooh’ and assumes this is Tater coming out and bringing his boyfriend to meet them. And if you think about it, it sort of explains Tater calling him B.
Then Tater comes super excited one day. 'B will move with me!’ And they all congratulate him and everything, thinking it’s so nice that Tater and Bitty’s relationship is going well, while actually Tater has been nagging Bitty to move in so he can have access to pie 24/7.
But also because Bitty is his best friend and since he bought his apartment he has been feeling a little lonely, this is the reason that does convince Bitty to move in because he has been feeling a little lonely too.
Fast forward a year, Jack graduates and joins the team. By this point Bitty is a regular at the games, he is a very in demand babysitter and makes a lot of food for the players.
Before he starts, Guy and Marty take the time to feel him out and explain that Tater has a boyfriend, and that they will have nothing but acceptance in their locker room.
They do this after asking Tater if it was ok to tell Jack about Bitty.
'No problem!’ Tater replies happily 'But B so good he need no introduction.’
Jack is pleased by this of course, and happy he is in a welcoming team.
And to make it better, let’s say he meets him when he is carrying a bunch of stuff for the nook.
'You should eat more protein,’ Jack jokes after seeing all the pies, and offers a hand to carry things.
Bitty jokes/flirts back. They are having a moment, Jack feels butterflies in his stomach and well, if the team is ok with Tater, surely they’d be ok with him…
'B! You made it!’ Tater bellows from down the hallways and rushes over, picking Bitty and putting him in a bear hug. 'I miss you.’
'Tater!’ Bitty yells laughing, and kisses his cheek playfully, 'you saw me this morning.’
'Yeah but you sleepy, you grumpy when sleepy. Like tiny bear.’
And then Bitty and Tater start to bicker like an old married couple. This whole time Tater is holding Bitty up.
Jack stomach drops to his feet, because of course Bitty is taken. By his teammate.
Jack develops a crush, a massive problematic crush because holy fuck Tater is the nicest person ever, and he would never want to get in between him and his boyfriend, but also he is terrified of Tater finding out because he once took two defence man by himself and won.
Meanwhile, at Bitty and Tater’s home, Bitty flings himself dramatically over the counter.
'Tater! I’m in love. Jack is so cute and nice, I like him so much.’
'Jack nice guy, he good guy for you. I approve,’ Tater says solemnly with a mouth full of pie.
'Say it don’t spray it,’ Bitty asks for the millionth time. 'Do you know if he likes guys?’
And then Tater being the good friend he is, tries to feel Jack out and play matchmaker, while an increasingly alarmed Jack thinks Tater is warning him off about crushing on Bitty.
Which isn’t helped by the fact Bitty keeps popping up to chirp him, which kind of feels like flirting but surely not…
Things get clarified and everything, Jack and Bitty start dating, and Tater has to explain 8 times to everybody that no, he never dated Bitty.
'We kissed once. We agree weird. We best as best friends,’ Tater says once again.
'Yeah but if he was going to date somebody other than you why couldn’t it be me?’ Poots complains loudly.
'You no good enough for B,’ Tater chirps back. 'I only let B date good teammate who didn’t eat my pie.’
'Will you let that go man!? I didn’t know it was yours.’
'It had sticky paper with Tater on it! You don’t fool me Poot, you food thief!’
