AN: I own nothing, This is Fleur's belated birthday gift I hope she enjoys it. I have more of this planned if you guys are interested shoot me an email or review! Thanks- Meg.
Julie hears the tell-tell smack of pads slamming together from her perch at the top left corner of the bleachers she looks up in time to see none other than Tim Riggins laying momentarily spread eagle on the field.
He is somewhat secretly one of her closest friends.
She rolls her eyes. "You think he'd learn by now." She mutters and scowls toward him though she knows he can't see or hear her.
Their friendship is an odd thing that happened in Jr. High in between picking up her books for her one day after Lyla Garrity had knocked them from her hands and her father's team dinners. She's never been able to truly understand why or how it works, it just does.
Maybe it's that she can see past his brokenness and his anger.
-/-/-/-
After practice he lumbers up to her spot. He turns the spine of her book up to read the title. "Moby Dick? It's about a fish right? You are weird Taylor." He sits down next to her.
"A man's quest to find a sperm whale actually," She leans in toward him. "People can see us you know?" Their friendship is neither dirty secret nor widely known, they prefer it that way. Rally girls are less likely to poison her food and the team won't give him hell for being sweet on the coach's daughter as well as the drunk who's late to practice.
The bad boy and the coach's daughter even she must admit its cliché.
He smirks at her waves to her father. "I feel like living dangerously Taylor."
She rolls her eyes. "You say that like it's a news flash Riggs." She musses his sweaty locks. "Leave me to Melville you stink…"
"I'd have a comeback but you are right I do,"
-/-/-/-
It's the first party of the season and he's sitting back in his chair when catches sight of a familiar blonde head. He glances at Jason making out with Lyla. "I'll be back." He goes to investigate and finds her dragging her nerdy obsessive and very drunk friend toward her parent's car. "Come on Lo, please." She begs and he grabs the girls other side.
"Need some help?"
"Please,"
"I saw Seven talking to you at Fran's gonna give him a fair shot?"
"Seven? Oh right the shy second stringer. You know my policy."
"You're so hot like, lava or something…" the drunken girl babbles.
"Thanks, "he mutters.
"I'm a football player."
"No, you're just Tim." They stuff Lois into the car.
"Where do they think you are?" he asks and Lois reaches through the open window to touch his face. "So lovely," She murmurs and he backs away. Julie laughs, "They think I'm getting milk for mom's coffee. She likes you." She nods at Lois.
"Great! "He mutters. "I'll see you."
"You know it. Tim?"
He looks up from staring at his feet. "Hm,"
"Take a cab."
"Lyla's sober." She nods.
-/-/-/-
She has been to many a game in her life and she knows her what her father's tightened expression means even better than his currently dejectedly players do.
They had gone into the game against the westerly Chaps sure of victory, but getting inflated egos does them no favors and they are down at the half.
When they return it is with fire in their eyes and Tim is talking no prisoners. Westerby makes a play for the ball and they are stopped thunderously. To the point that in the chaos she looks for Tim and is relieved to find him making his way to his feet. She survey's further and sees Jason Street lying near the 20 yard line. He is deathly still and the entire stadium goes resoundingly silent.
They players rush off the field as though injury is contagious and the medics and coaching staff take their place.
Lyla Garrity is screeching at Jason to get up. Somewhere in the back of her mind is a snide comment and the urge to slap some sense into the girl but she crushes it and zeroes in on Tim standing motionless seemingly barely breathing.
The second string quarterback who'd attempted to flirt with her pulls out the win by the skin of his teeth. No one seems to truly care with halfhearted cheers it's clear their minds are on that fallen ticket to state Jason Street!
-/-/-/-
She can never decide what it is that makes her hate hospitals maybe it's the death covered by lemon scent or the fact that no matter how old you get you carry the residual fear of someone stabbing you with a needle or prodding you with something equally terrifying.
She wanders the halls and she's not consciously in search of Tim or so she tells herself but she is worried about him.
She finds Lyla leaned against a wall sobbing she's not heartless, she cares just…not enough. Soon enough Lyla Garrity may have to learn this isn't about her…and Garrity is the kind girl who thinks you'll get a good life because you deserve one. That's not how it works.
She's been hanging around Tim to long she supposes but it's still true coddling her will do her no favors besides where are her parents?
She squeezes Lyla's arm and walks by wordlessly.
She wanders further down the hall and finds a supply closet with its door cracked, she peers in and there stands Tim hands on his hips staring hard at row after row of hospital gowns. She steps in and closes the door.
The room goes dark and he startles. "Just me."
He nods and she waits for her eyes to adjust to the lack of light. Then she tentatively steps to him and hugs him. They aren't big on physical affection but some part of her knows he needs this and he would never ask. So she holds on tight arms around his waist her face pressed into his chest. She just waits and breathes waits and breathes, he smells of axe and the tiny room smells overwhelmingly of bleach.
She wonders idly if every time she mops or scrubs a toilet from now on if she will thinks of this.
He sighs like he's tired of fighting; his arms come around her shoulders and he hugs back. "Jules." He says his voice shakes ever so slightly and his chin comes to rest on the crown of her head. She knows what he's asking with that one word.
"Tim, I don't know how or why or what it all means but I do know it's going to be okay again someday, trust it, and trust me okay?"
"Okay." He murmurs pressing his lips into her hair. They stand like that silently holding one another for who knows how long.
It feels safe in this tiny closet like nothing has changed as long as they remain inside but they both know change is barreling toward them so they hold on and wait.