Nap
One might think, due to Tim's previous track record with girls, that an afternoon with the house to themselves would be a prime time to make a move on Julie. This is actually not the case, on a muggy Saturday in August.
Eric and Tami have decided to take Gracie to get professional photographs taken, and the photographer they chose is a few towns over from Dillon, leaving Julie and Tim home alone. They were left early in the morning, with twenty dollars on the table to get themselves some dinner.
"What are you doing home?" Julie asks around noon, walking in the house to see Tim stretched out on the couch watching Dr. Phil.
"This damn lightning caught fire on a field a few farms over, so I got the rest of the day off." Tim pushes himself into a sitting position, lifting his face up toward Julie. She leans down to bring her lips to his, and Tim winds a hand in her chlorine-damp hair.
"The lightning closed the pool, too," Julie tells him once she breaks away. "I'm gonna go take a shower. I feel really gross after sitting all sweaty in this humidity all morning."
It has been lightning all day, bruised clouds blocking the sun from view. But despite how heavy the clouds look, they do not release their rain.
"Alright, I'll just spend more quality time with Dr. Phil here," Tim calls after Julie. The thought of Julie in the shower makes the blood in Tim's veins run faster. He tries to ignore those thoughts, and they way his body reacts to them, by turning his attention back to Dr. Phil.
It doesn't help much.
After the shower stops run in, Tim hears the blow dryer kick on. He knows it will be going for quite a while. Tim has spent many mornings with Coach, listening to the older man grumble about how long it takes for both his wife and daughter to dry their thick blonde hair.
Tim makes it through another whole episode of Dr. Phil before Julie emerges from the bathroom. She's wearing a Dillon football t-shirt and cotton shorts printed with daisies-her pajamas.
"Do you want to take a nap with me? I'm exhausted."
Julie does look tired, wilted under the oppressive heat of the day. Even with the strong air conditioning inside providing escape from the heat, it looks like the summer has bested her today.
It wasn't what Tim had initially thought about, but he had to admit it was a good alternative. He isn't usually one for much cuddling, but he's grown to like it since Julie came into his life. She is a big cuddler.
"Yeah, let's take a nap," Tim says, turning off the TV and taking Julie's outstretched hand. He allows her to pull him up off the couch. As she leads him down the hall to her bedroom, she slides her fingers between his.
Tim has never actually been in Julie's room. The bright colors, the tiny flowers dotting her sheets, the filmy curtains all scream Julie to him.
"I'll set an alarm so we don't oversleep," Julie grumbles, picking up her alarm clock. Tim knows she must really be very tired, because Julie isn't the least bit nervous like she usually is when they are alone.
Tim smiles, watching Julie decide on a time for the alarm. Already her eyelids are sliding closed. While Julie works on setting the alarm, Tim slips his jeans and socks off. Neither would be comfortable to sleep in, but he leaves his white t-shirt on.
Once Julie is satisfied with the alarm, she lifts her covers and motions for Tim to join her. Julie snuggles herself closely to Tim, laying her head on his chest.
"I like listening to your heart," Julie says sleepily. Tim runs his fingers through her smooth blonde hair and places a kiss on the top of her head.
The thing is, though he agreed to the nap, Tim is not particularly sleepy. Or so he thought. With Tim's fingers in her hair, Julie quickly falls asleep. Her breathing becomes deep and regular.
Tim really didn't think he'd fall asleep. But with the warm weight of Julie against him and the rhythm of her breaths, he feels his own eyelids grow heavy. He wraps his arm tighter around Julie but doesn't fight it as the sleep overtakes him.
Several hours later, Tami, Eric, and Gracie Bell walk in on a scene that betrays no trace of the two teenage lovers afternoon in bed.
Julie is on one end of the couch, wrapped in a blanket. Tim lays sprawled on the other end, his legs over the arm off the couch and his head propped against Tami's couch cushions. Before them on the coffee table is an open box of pizza they've been sharing.
"I'm telling you, he's going to pick Rachel," Julie says, taking a bite of her pizza. She and Tim had to compromise on toppings, her side covered in veggies while Tim's had meat.
"Jules, if he picks her I will go to Alabama and punch him in the face myself."
The two are watching The Bachelor at Julie's request. Neither notice the rest of the Taylors enter the house until Eric bursts out laughing.
"Tim Riggins. Mr. 'I like to hurt people', are you really watching The Bachelor right now?"
Tim doesn't bother lifting himself off the couch, rather tipping his head backwards to look at his coach.
"This is serious business here, Coach. I have ten bucks on Stacie there and I don't aim to lose to your daughter."
"Yeah, sure," Eric says, winking over at his wife. "Just know the other guys will be hearing about this when we start preseason practice next week, Riggins."