Title: Unnecessary Roughness (1/11)

Author: Romantique

Email:

Classification: Eric/Tami Pairing.

Rating: M for suggestive, non-explicit adult themes.

Summary: After accepting the District's offer of Head Coach of the East Dillon Lions, the new contract continues to test Coach Taylor's patience and his pride.

Disclaimer: Friday Night Lights fan fiction occurs at the end of Season 3 and is a Prequel to Season 4 which has yet to air.

Legal: These characters do not belong to me. I'm just a fan and have not made a dime. Please email me to obtain permission to post.

unnecessary roughness:

a personal foul resulting in a 15-yard penalty against the offending team.

The Taylor Home

Friday, May 29th

4 p.m.

Coach Eric Taylor arrived home after a long day at school. After the Memorial Day holiday, it was his first day to report in at East Dillon High. He tossed a thick handful of employment paperwork haphazardly on the kitchen counter along with his keys.

"Hon?" his wife, Tami, tentatively greeted him from the kitchen.

Eric stomped his way past her and into the living room where he collapsed into the recliner and defiantly crossed his arms in front of his chest. He very much needed to decompress.

"How'd it go?" Tami asked, raising an eyebrow, knowing the response was not going to be good. Under even the best of circumstances, she knew today was going to be a tough day for her husband.

Not only had Eric lost his job coaching the State Champion Dillon Panthers where he made substantially less money his second year than his first, along with the added responsibility of the entire Athletic Department at no additional money. The District opted not to renew his contract at Dillon High. Instead, they offered him the hollow position of Head Coach at East Dillon High, a dilapidated high school on the wrong side of the tracks with no football program … and again, for no additional money.

Exhaling a long, pent up puff of steam, Eric clenched his eyes closed and reached for the back of his neck, giving it a hard squeeze and a rub. Then, with his other hand, he grabbed his brand new, East Dillon Lions cap off his head by the bill and threw it across the room as if it was a Frisbee.

"I met with the Principal who, by the way, I do not like," Eric huffed, looking straight ahead, his wife behind him. "He informed me the new contract requires I teach Driver freakin' Ed this summer. I start Monday at 7 a.m."

"Oh, no," Tami winced. Over the years, Eric swore he never wanted to be one of those P.E. teachers who taught Driver Education. She walked into the living room and handed him an ice cold beer. He didn't ask for it. She knew what he needed before he did.

"Oh, yes," Eric sarcastically vented as he took the bottle. His face was turning red as his voice became more animated by the minute. "Today, I found out, in order to keep my job, in addition to everything else I've had to suck up, I must also risk life and limb teachin' Driver Ed. And if that's not rich enough, I must bend over and grab my ankles for no additional money!"

Twisting the cap off the glass bottle, Eric took three successive slugs of the ice cold, amber liquid. He chugged down more than half the bottle just wanting to be numb.

"So that I can be covered under the District's auto insurance policy, I had to explain why I have two speedin' tickets on my record, from when I was commutin' from Austin. One of those was on the way to the hospital when Gracie was born. They're goin' to deduct the excess premium out of my dwindlin' paycheck." Eric was becoming even more agitated. "Not that I care what anybody thinks, but that was my private business."

Tami came up behind him and wrapped her long arms around his neck. He was still warm from being out in the hot summer day. "Honey, take in a deep breath and let it all out."

He did as she asked, and on his exhale, she began to gently rub his well-defined neck and shoulders. Her supple hands met with his muscular tension. He was wound up as tight as a drum. Quickly, he finished off the rest of the beer and placed the empty bottle on the end table.

Eric was so worked up. "Would you remind me again why I gave up a high salary contract with TMU so I could be stuck with this God-forsaken District contract, in a crazy town of crazy people who don't give a damn about anything but goin' to State?" He began to talk with his hands for emphasis. "Yet when I brought them to State, not once but twice, they exercised their right not to renew my contract at Dillon High. And now, they're pilin' on even more crap ... because ... they can." He turned his head and looked up to make eye contact with his wife, standing behind him. "Would you please remind me why ... because right now ... I honestly don't remember?" There was pain and utter frustration in his voice and in his hazel eyes which appeared rather grey today.

What began as a gentle neck message, gradually turned into a steady kneading of his neck and shoulder muscles. Her husband's pride had already been severely wounded by losing his prized coaching position in such a publicly humiliating way. These latest District demands, whether by design or not, were only rubbing salt into the wound.

"Well," she treaded softly and slowly, "you wanted to keep our family together, and you wanted to let Julie live out her dreams here in Dillon." She continued to knead and knead until he relaxed enough to lean his head back into the massage. She could feel the muscle constriction pulling from his shoulders, all the way up into the length of the back of his neck. In her most soothing voice, she went on, "And you wanted to let me continue my work with the kids because it's important to me."

Pressing her thumbs harder into the base of his skull, he closed his eyes and leaned back, pushing the base of his head further against the force of her thumbs, slowly moving his head from side to side. She found the spot, the source of the pressure.

"Hmmmmm," Eric uttered as he felt his sore, knotted muscles begin to release in his wife's capable hands. It felt good.

"You did it for us, Babe," Tami soothed him with her voice. "But giving up your dreams was not part of the deal. If you're thinking you have to do this for us, I'm here to remind you that you don't. We'll find another way."

"Now where am I gonna find another high school coachin' job this school year, much less any job in Dillon in this economy? You know I'm still out of college ball on the non-compete," he asked in a much lowered voice and slower cadence, with his eyes still closed.

Not letting up on the massage for a second, Tami gave a little laugh, "Well, off the top of my head, I hear that Buddy Garrity needs some sales persons for his 'Cash for Clunkers' campaign. And with Tim Riggins going off to college, his brother, Billy, probably could use some help over at Riggins Riggs."

With his eyes still closed, Eric smiled and gave a small chuckle. The air conditioning in the house, along with the cold beer and his wife's loving comfort was cooling him off.

Still giggling a little, Tami added, "I bet Matt Saracen could get you on at the Alamo Freeze."

"Stop it now," he continued to chuckle. "How about a little sympathy?"

Leaning down from behind so that her face came close to his, Tami asked, "So, you really don't like your new principal?" She continued kneading his shoulders.

"No, I don't," he declared again. "I love my old principal."

"You do?" Tami cooed with a smile.

With his eyes still closed, he answered with a growing smile, "I do."

Tami kissed the back of Eric's neck and put her arms around his neck again. "How about I grill the T-bones you picked out yesterday for dinner?" she whispered in his ear, kissing the side of his face from behind the chair. "Jules is working tonight," she purred. "After I pick up Gracie Belle, I can cook up those steaks. You and I can eat our prime Texas beef in peace, without fear of a protest." Their daughter, Julie, was a self-proclaimed vegan who routinely voiced her disapproval of eating anything derived from animals. It might not be a big deal if they didn't live in Texas.

Surprised, his eyebrows went up while his eyes were still closed. Relishing every bit of his massage, and he asked, "You want to grill?"

"I grill an excellent steak, Hon," she said in between kisses. "Medium rare, just the way you like it. You could stretch out in here on the sofa and take a nap before dinner. Doesn't that sound nice?"

Tami had managed to work most of the tension out of his neck, circumventing one hell of an oncoming headache. Her husband seemed much more relaxed.

"Hmmmm," Eric grabbed her hand. "C'mere," he said has he led her around the recliner and onto his lap. "You know what sounds nice?" he asked, moving a long strand of her strawberry blonde hair away from her beautiful face with his fingers. "How about you and I go take a nap together before it's time to pick up Gracie? Then, I'll grill those steaks, and you could make one of your famous salads and pour us a nice glass of wine? After today, I feel a need to play with some fire."

Tami leaned in to kiss her husband, their lips met their mouths met their tongues. His tongue was still cold and tasted of beer. Her tongue warmed his. After a deep, soulful kiss, Tami came up for air. Her red, well-kissed lips whispered, "Hmmmmmm. That does sound nice," she murmured in between more kisses. "We have about an hour before it's time to go to the day care."

Eric drew her closer to him; their bodies responding to one another. He squeezed her hand. "C'mon," he said. "Let's make hay."

East Dillon High School

Monday, June 1st

6 a.m.

Although Tami managed to help Eric unwind Friday afternoon and evening, it didn't last for long. He spent most of the weekend preparing for scheduled football meetings, practices, fundraising, and now, the first week of Driver Ed classes.

As much as Eric loathed the thought of teaching driving classes, he couldn't do without a job, not without having another job lined up, and not in the current economy. Besides, Eric Taylor was no quitter. He had the mortgage to consider, and they had just bought a car for Julie. He could not bring himself to renege on the deal he made with his daughter to pay half her car payment.

He managed to get his summer schedule pared down to teaching Driver Education, Monday through Thursday, from 7 a.m. to 11: a.m. The rest of his time would be devoted to football. There was so much work to be done before the start of the football season; he almost didn't know where to start.

This morning, he reported to the school at 6 a.m. in order to get the training car checked out, gassed up, and ready for the first class. It would be a long day of "going through the motions" while waiting for the afternoon to meet with his new coaching staff. He planned to spend the bulk of their time preparing for tomorrow afternoon, the first summer practice of the 2009-2010 East Dillon Lions.