Transitory 1/3
Author: chinesebakery
Characters: Tim/Julie
Rating: PG13-ish
Spoilers: 2x11, Jumping the Gun
Summary: For a moment, she thinks he's going to laugh at her, but he doesn't. He just looks at her for a long time, really looks at her like he can read her mind, like he understands her better than anyone ever has.
A/N: Thanks to becoolbec for the beta.
She spots him the moment he crosses the door, like she always does. Now they're all broken up and barely on speaking terms, she has acquired this weird sixth sense that tells her whenever he's entered a half-a-mile perimeter revolving around her and really, she wishes she could turn it off. It's not like she needs to be thinking any more about Matt Saracen and his new girlfriend. Especially not when he's looking at that girl like he might tear off her clothes in front of the entire school. Guys just love nurses. That's what Tyra had said anyway, as if it explained everything.
He looks more confident now than he'd ever been when they were together and it kind of suits him, even though she really resents him it. Lately, she just wishes he could disappear from her sight, vanish into thin air or something. It's weird to think she once believed she couldn't handle moving away from him, back then when she knew him too well.
His arm is wrapped around Carlotta's waist like they're all official and serious, and they're beaming like they're having the time of their lives. Even Landry talks to her like they're best pals now, they're the it-couple and he's the faithful sidekick and everything is back to normal, like she never existed, and she can't seem to look away.
She's pondering walking over to them to slap them both when some semi-drunk rally girl hanging to Tim Riggins' arm shoves her over like she has truly become invisible.
"Tim!" Julie shouts over the music, and by the look he gives her, she gathers she must be interrupting something. "Give me a ride?" she demands anyway with the kind of imploring look that always, always works on her dad, but Tim only stares at her like she's completely insane. Until his eyes wander over her shoulder and some kind of recognition flashes on his face.
"Sure," he sighs, and he escorts her back outside where the air is cool and she can breathe again.
It's only when she's sitting in his truck and he's starting the engine that she realizes it's only 10:15 and really, she didn't work so hard at convincing her father to let her have a life again only to come home way before curfew.
"Wait. I don't want to go home yet."
Tim rolls his eyes like she's some sort of nuisance standing between him and a nice, free twelve pack. "Make up your mind, Taylor. I'm not your personal chauffeur."
"Look, can we, I don't know, just go elsewhere?"
"Why do I feel like it's gonna end up with your dad trying to punch through my skull?" He shakes his head but starts driving anyway.
---
They're sitting in the back of his truck and she feels better than she has since TMU and the baby, the Swede and everything. It might be because he let her have some of his beer, or because he doesn't make her feel like she should talk for the sake of it, and it makes her wonder if all the stories she's heard about him are true.
She tries to clear her mind but somehow, her train of thought always goes back to them, QB1 and his sexy older girlfriend, and she wonders what they're doing right this minute. Lately, she's been wondering that a lot. She once told Tyra that if she could actually see the two of them doing it, buy their sex tape or something, it would still be less painful than all the pictures she's made up in her head. Tyra thought it was the dumbest thing she'd ever heard.
"Do you ever feel like you've made some stupid mistake that you're gonna regret for the rest of your life, but there is no way you can undo it?"
For a moment, she thinks he's going to laugh at her, but he doesn't. He just looks at her for a long time, really looks at her like he can read her mind, like he understands her better than anyone ever has.
"I think it's time to get you home, girl," he says, and throws his bottle away. The sound of smashing glass is soothing, somehow. She often feels like breaking things, these days, too.
At her request, he pulls over a few yards away from her house because even if Tim's back in her father's good graces, she's not entirely sure he'd be pleased to know that they've been hanging out, either.
"I had a really good time," she says before she can think of anything better, and feels like a complete fool. It's not like they went out on a date, he barely let her sit by while he stared into the empty space.
"Anytime," he says with the hint of a smile and before she knows it, she's beaming. She decides all those stories have got to be true.
---
Seeing Lyla with her new guy instantly ruins a pleasant night of quiet inebriation. They met at their Church, she states when she introduces him, like he wouldn't have guessed.
He could handle her being with Street. And he could probably handle her being with someone else he'd respect, eventually. But this dude's some self-righteous prep school moron and Tim can easily picture himself beating the crap out of him. It doesn't help that Lyla immediately starts babbling about their church like she's been well and truly brainwashed.
"We're having a charity rally next weekend. You should come around."
"Yeah, we can always use and extra set of hands," the loser adds with a weird grin that's probably supposed to look amicable, but only comes out as plain creepy.
"Ah, well, I'd love to, but I have this orgy planned on Friday and I'll probably be exhausted. Maybe next time," he offers, and watches Lyla's smile fade with some satisfaction.
"You know, Tim, I think I'm immune to your gratuitous provocations by now. But thanks for trying."
It's enough, though, to have her decide she's done rubbing her new-found happiness and inner peace in his face. They take off together and naturally, Whatshisface opens the passenger door for her like they're living in the 50's or something. She's smiling like he's the best thing sliced bread, a content smile he can't remember ever seeing directed to him. From her or anyone else, really.
The car drives away and when it's gone, he notices Julie Taylor staring at him from across the street.
"You look like you could do with being elsewhere, too," she says as she walks over to him, and she looks as defeated as she had that night he drove her away from 7 and his maid chick.
"What's Saracen done, this time?"
"Nothing. He just is," she snickers, and it's the first time he notices how out of place bitterness looks on that little doll face of hers.
"If this is gonna become an habit, I'll have to start charging you for the gas," he informs her as she slides in.
---
"So," Julie asks as she snatches the beer out of his hand again, "do you really have an orgy planned next week?"
It's only when she hears herself say it that she realizes she's more drunk than she thought she was.
"Nope, but that can be arranged. Let me know if you're interested."
"Eww, no thanks. But I'm sure the New Matt would love to attend," she says, grimacing.
"Not digging the new and improved QB1, hey?"
"I wouldn't know. He's so weird, like he had a personality transplant or something."
"He's just a guy who's finally getting some. No great sci-fi mystery there," Tim shrugs.
Hearing it spoken out loud is like a blow to the stomach and Julie has to look away. She's concentrating on holding back stupid, angry tears when she feels an arm wrap her around her and a large, awkward hand rubbing her shoulder. It only lasts a moment though, before Tim pulls his arm away and rubs his palms on his knees self-consciously.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to get you worked up."
"I'm not worked up. I'm fine. Whatever. I knew it, anyway. They're all over each other and she's older and, you know," she pauses to swallow a large gulp of tepid beer and blink some more. "It's just that I grew so annoyed with him over the summer. It's like, he was hanging at the pool all the time, following me everywhere I went. He was always so eager and so damn nice. He did everything I asked. I don't think he contradicted me even once. And the whole school, my parents, everyone thought we were this perfect couple. It got tiresome."
"That's understandable."
"No, it's not. It's dumb! What sort of girl gets bored of her perfect boyfriend just because he's perfect?"
"Saracen's not perfect. He blocks like a girl."
"And then I thought the Swede really liked me, which is so stupid there is literally no words for it. I hung out with his college friends and I had to try so hard to look cool when really, I felt like a complete idiot."
"It's not stupid. It's just kinda cliché."
"I almost slept with Matt, once. In the beginning. Did you know that? I thought it would be nice to just be over this whole virginity thing. Turned out I wasn't all that comfortable with the idea after all. But since I was the one who offered, I thought, well, can't really turn him down now, can I? But he gathered I wasn't really ready and said we shouldn't do it. We ended up eating crackers and falling asleep in front of the TV. That's the kind of guy Matt is."
"The kind that turns down his hot girlfriend for some cheap snacks? Sounds like a winner."
"Yeah, I'm sure that kind of thinking is above you."
"I'm more of a 'take it wherever you can get it' guy," he says, flashing his trademark, seductive smirk.
"Pervert," Julie teases, kicking his shin softly.
"Carjacker," he counters, kicking back
"You really think I'm hot?" she asks, wrinkling her nose.
"You're not too bad, for a kid."
"I'm one year younger than you. One year," she informs him, hoping not to sound as offended as she actually feels.
"Okay, fine, you're all grown-up. But if you're not home in twenty minutes, you'll be grounded. And if your folks find out you were with me, I'll bet Coach will hang my head in the locker room like a hunting trophy."
"You got that right, perv." And it's her first genuine laugh in ages.
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