Title: The Fundamental Things Apply
Author: Hana (thedreamygirl)
Rating: T
Spoilers: Everything is set pre-season so none.
Summary: It usually starts with 'Hello'; a number of ways Eric and Tami may have met.
Author's Note: Each part of this story will be about a different way in which Eric and Tami might have met each other. I guess in that way it's more like a series of one-shots than a proper multi-chapter story but it made more sense to put them all together than start a new fic for each one. Anyway, this is my first time writing for Friday Night Lights so I hope you all enjoy and a big thank you to Maryilee for betaing. :)
Tami just managed to catch a glimpse of a football jersey before she collided into something hard. Her books flew out of her hands and she lost her balance, but she was prevented from falling herself by someone grabbing onto her elbow.
With a mumbled, "Thanks", she quickly bent down to pick the books up. She found two, before turning to look for the third, but instead of seeing a book on the narrow dirt path she could see a pair of sneaker-clad feet. Tami looked up into the eyes of a familiar face, handsomer up close than it had appeared in the few photographs she'd seen around.
"Sorry about bumping into you," he apologised. "I always forget to slow down at the turn because you can't see who's coming."
"It's okay, I hadn't either."
He held his hand out and she realised he had picked up her other book. "I think this is yours."
"Thank you," she replied, taking the book and adding it to her pile before standing up.
He stood up as well, adjusting the backpack that hung from one strap on his shoulder. "You're welcome. Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you."
"You sure? You've got a little..." he pointed to her knee-length skirt and she realised some mud had collected on the hem from when she had bent down to get her books.
"Oh it's just dirt," she shrugged and brushed off her skirt before rearranging her books in her arms. Still, she noticed he hadn't quite left yet, but he'd have to move soon. The tall hedges and greenery that surrounded the path were what had prevented them from seeing each other as they came down both sides of the bend, but they were also what made it only wide enough for one person to walk comfortably and she needed to get past him to take the shortcut to her dorm. She really needed to put her library books away and now, after this incident, change into some clean clothes before her lecture. "Are you okay?" she checked. When he nodded, she added, "Good, then there's no harm done. Now, I actually have to get going and you probably don't want to be late for your game so if you don't mind..." Tami moved forward in order to give him the message to turn sideways and let her through, but as she did, she noticed a curious expression on his face. "What?"
"How do you know I'm going to play a game?" he said slowly.
Embarrassed by her slip of the tongue, she silently reprimanded herself. "Oh. I just..."
"Are you coming?" he wondered.
"Why would I be there?" she laughed.
"Well, it may only be just a couple of us from the team fooling around, but every week there are always a few people who sit and watch us. I thought you might be a fan."
Tami couldn't help the snort that left her at that. She brought her hand to her nose semi-embarrassed at the amused look on his face, but she hadn't been able to help herself. Tami knew exactly what kind of fans watched them and she certainly wasn't one of them.
"I guess I'll take that as a no, then?"
"No...I mean, yes! That was definitely a no," she clarified.
"Okay," he replied, still smiling. "'Cause, I was going to say I was pretty sure I'd have noticed you, if you were."
Well, that certainly caught her off-guard. Was Eric Taylor, star quarterback of their college's football team, flirting with her?
Tami brushed it off by rolling her eyes and was about to try to walk away again when he reminded her, "Hey, you still didn't answer my question."
"Oh, I just have a lecture around the same time ya'll always play and our hall is right in front of the field. We can see ya'll through the windows," Tami replied.
"You mean Davidson Hall?" Eric realised.
Tami nodded. "That's the one."
"I didn't know you could see the field from there. I wasn't aware we have another audience watching us from that side as well," he finished with a smirk.
"I don't watch you," Tami quickly amended. "I've just noticed a few times when I'm sitting on that side of the hall near the windows."
"You just noticed? Isn't that the same thing?"
"No, it's not the same thing," she stated.
"No?"
"No, noticing is just something you happened to notice when you're glancing around. Watching is when you're actually focused and interested in that thing -"
"And you weren't interested in watching us, of course."
"Not in the least," Tami said firmly, unable to keep some of the irritation from seeping into her voice.
It was the perfect opportunity to get away if she just shoved him aside, but he was just standing there grinning at her and it was really grating on her nerves.
"What?" she demanded.
"I didn't say anything".
"Well, if you're not going to move you may as well say something instead of just standing there and looking like that."
"Looking like what?" he said with a laugh.
"All...smirk-like!" she finished.
He chuckled at that before saying, "You don't like me."
"Oh, really? Did you gather that?"
"Yes, I have, but see, here's the thing I don't understand: you don't know me."
"I don't have to know you."
"Actually, I think you kinda have to know someone to know what you think of them."
"Well, you were making fun of me -"
"When did I make fun of you?"
Exasperated, Tami started, "With the 'watching' and the 'noticing' -"
"I was just surprised that someone who said herself that she wasn't a fan would be more interested in watching us play than in her lecture."
"I already told you I wasn't watching!"
"But I didn't know that before you explained, did I?"
Tami let out a huff of frustration. "Well, now that you do know, would you please be so kind as to stop carrying on this meaningless conversation and let me go to my lecture?"
After a moment's pause he said, "Okay. I have to get to practice now anyway. I'd say 'I'll see you around', but since I'm not too sure about that I'll have to go with, 'You'll see me'."
"I'm sure I won't," she said with certainty, before walking past him and heading straight for her dorm.
But, when a half hour later, she arrived at her lecture with a few minutes to spare, but too late to have the luxury of picking her own seat, she was forced to take one next to the window. The lecture was interesting enough, but her curiosity eventually got the better of her and she turned to look out the window and saw the same group of boys that were always there every week playing a friendly game of touch football.
Knowing already what his outfit would be, it was easy enough for Tami to pick out Eric Taylor amongst the others. However, if she had had any doubts about which one was him they would have been erased when she noticed him scanning all the windows on the back wall of the hall. Finally his eyes came to rest on the top last one, where her hall was, but Tami didn't look away at first.
She didn't think he could see her. At least, not until he waved.