This is just going to be a bunch of short oneshots that are all unconnected and all AU. Also it will all be random.

Love

Deep breath in. Sit still and and stretch the moment for as long as possible. The game on the screen is late into the first quarter and the beer bottle on the table in front of me is still full and cold and sweating. My dinner plate still sits next to it despite its emptiness. This prevented me from resting my legs on the table, so I sat upright and rigid debating whether or not to take the plate back to the kitchen. With a grunt I decide to wait until I finish my beer.

Jeff comes strolling down the hall from the kitchen to lay down by my feet. He has a chew stick in his mouth. Those things leave such a mess on the floor. I reach down and grab it and give it a little tug but he pulls it back away from me and continues chewing with the end held between his paws. I pet his head and continue to watch the game figuring he deserved that stick for now, but he should really have to keep them outside.

I glance down the hall. Any noise coming from the room at the end of the hall is drowned out by the tv as the second quarter enters the fourth minute. There's no signs of life from what I can see from the doorway, but I know she's down there glaring at her laptop screen and shuffling papers preparing her lesson plan for tomorrow. She will have put her dinner plate in the sink along with the rest of the dishes she used to make dinner. It's almost halftime and I'll have to go wash them soon.

I reach down to grab my beer again not realizing that I had already finished it. I breath a heavy sigh. I hoisted myself out of the deep soft cushions of the couch with a grunt. I grabbed the empty bottle and plate and sauntered slowly to the kitchen. The sounds of the game faded but I heard at last the buzzer for halftime and I passed through the doorway into full view of the kitchen and dining space. She sat there just as I had imagined.

Her eyes never wavered from the screen but I moved quickly to the refrigerator. I pulled the door open and grabbed a fresh bottle before moving to the sink. I rinse my bottle and my plate straining to hear the clicks of the keyboard over the rushing water. I hold my breath every time there's a pause. I'm thankful that tonight's dinner was simple and left little mess. I scrub furiously for a short while until everything is clean, then I set them aside to dry. I then exit the room grabbing another two beers so I won't have to get up again.

I set my drinks down and give Jeff a pat on the head as I retake my seat with a minute to spare before the second half starts. I stretch and spread out, finally getting to put my feet up. I begin to relax as the third quarter got into full swing. It was close but we were looking good, and that was satisfying today. Jeff stood and put his head on my lap and I began to pet him while he drooled on my leg.

"Hey," said a voice from the door.

"Hey," I said barely glancing over to her. "You all finished?"

"Yep," she said walking over and cuddling up next to me. "How's the game going."

"It's a good game," I grumbled. I turned my head to look at her but she was resting her head on my shoulder so I kissed the top of her head and turned back to the game.

"My lessons are all planned out for the week, but I'm worried about Adrianna," she began. "She's been falling behind, and I don't think she has been getting the help she needs."

"Hmm" is all I say in response.

"I just don't know if I can spare the time to give her any individual attention. Conferences were no help either because her parents were kind of rude and blew me off when I brought it up. So I'm just worried for her, you know?"

"Yeah."

"I don't know, though," she continued. "Maybe I'll just check on her during work times and she'll get better, but do think that might be seen as showing favoritism?"

"They're just kids," I say keeping my eyes fixed on the screen. "I don't think they'll really notice."

"I don't know. They're pretty smart and they notice a lot. And I don't want anyone else to fall behind."

"I'm sure it'll will be fine" I said. I began to sit forward and tense up.

"I don't know…" she said. "Anyway how was your day?"

"Not great," I said pulling my arm out from under her to lean forward on my knees and open another beer.

"What happened?"

I pull the bottle away from my lips and say, "Can we talk after the game?"

She was quiet for a minute. I could imagine her face setting into the neutral expression of stone cold anger that always sets me on edge. "I guess."

My jaw clenches. We watch the game in silence, or at least I do. I don't look to check to see what she's doing. Jeff walks over to her with the stick back in his mouth. The clock winds down as we steadily fall behind in the final quarter, but I've lost interest. My mind fills with reasons to be mad at her, but I know it's pointless.

As the final buzzer sounds I say, "I got fired."

"Oh babe I'm so sorry," she says. I know she's not mad at me anymore, but I feel very little relief.