Title: Safe In My Arms
A/N: You ladies are the greatest! Thanks so, so much for all the great feedback! I'd give you all Tim Riggins as a token of my appreciation if I could ;D Hope you ladies have a great week ahead and hope you enjoy this next little bit!
Tim removed his helmet from his head, shaking his damp hair. Despite the recent drop in temperature, he had still managed to work up a sweat during practice. Autumn had officially arrived in Dillon, with the changing of the leaves and the brisk, chilly temperatures. He was glad. Practice was a lot better when the temperature wasn't in the triple digits.
He took a knee on the field with his other teammates, all gathering around to listen to Coach say his last bit before practice would officially be over. He let his gaze wander toward the bleachers, spotting Julie sitting by herself. She had her legs tucked underneath her and was bent over reading a book, her long blonde hair blowing around her.
Although she had turned sixteen a few months ago, her parents hadn't been able to afford to buy her a car yet. He knew she hated having to wait around on her parents after school, but he hadn't heard her complain too much. She had told him that she had saved close to two thousand dollars over the past few years, tutoring and babysitting, and only needed a little more to finally buy some little car of her own.
He didn't care if she never got a vehicle of her own. For the time being he had been pretty much driving her everywhere, and he liked it that way. Especially since that was one of the few times that they were alone and he felt the safety to try and sneak a few kisses.
Saturday night had been…unbelievable. He and Julie had made out right up until they heard Shelley's key in the door, only breaking apart when made to. It had been hot. She had been hot. She hadn't been timid like he would have thought. No, Julie had thrown herself into the kiss, making him only want her more.
They hadn't really had any alone time Sunday. Her parents returned home around lunch and the family spent the day together. He had managed to sneak a quick kiss in the garage after a ping-pong game, but he hadn't been brave enough to try more than that.
He had driven them both to school this morning and it was as if nothing had changed. They still joked and laughed, but there was an underlying electricity in the air. He had managed to sneak a quick kiss, barely a peck on the lips before they had pulled up to school.
It wasn't enough.
As he watched her, his brain went into overdrive, thinking of some way that he could get her alone this afternoon. As if she felt his eyes on her, she looked up, her gaze immediately meeting his.
He felt his gut tighten at the sweet smile that she sent his way. He smiled back, feeling like a giddy schoolboy as he stared at her. He was startled when the guys around him all started standing up. Tim realized that he'd missed Coach's whole speech and that practice was over.
He gave Julie a quick wave before turning and jogging toward the locker room. He quickly stripped out of his pads and made his way toward the showers. A few minutes later he was showered and dressed in a pair of jeans and a plaid button-up shirt. He grabbed his jacket out of his locker before making his way toward Coach's office.
"Hey Coach." Tim said, propping his shoulder in the doorway.
"Yeah." Eric said distractedly, leafing through the papers on his desk. "What is it, Riggins?"
"Do you mind if Jules and I head over to the Alamo Freeze or something for a while. I've got a paper I need some help with." He said.
It wasn't a whole lie. He did have a paper he needed help with, but he didn't want to go to the Alamo Freeze.
"Sure, yeah. Dinner will probably be late tonight anyway. Tami's got a meeting." Eric said, his eyes scanning the paper in front of him. "Just be home before dark."
"Thanks, Coach." Tim said with a smile, straightening from the doorway and turning to head outside.
As he walked out of the field house he spotted Julie leaning against her dad's vehicle. She looked good in her tight, dark jeans and her pale blue shirt that only enhanced her curves. Julie Taylor had a body, that was for sure. A body that he'd been thinking about a lot over the past few days. He walked toward her, watching another one of those sweet smiles appear as she noticed him.
"Hey." She said, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.
"Hey." He replied, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he came to a stop in front of her. They stared at each other for several seconds, before she finally rolled her eyes.
"Okay, we can't just stand here gazing into each other's eyes all day. People are gonna think we've lost our minds." She muttered, glancing around at the other players as they filed out of the field house.
Tim didn't really care what they thought, but he figured she had a point. "Come on." He said, placing his hand on the small of her back and ushering her toward his truck.
"Wait, where are we goin'?" She asked quickly.
"I told your dad we were going to the Alamo Freeze and that I needed help with a paper." He said, opening the passenger door to his truck.
"Oh." Julie said, her voice sounding funny to his ears as she climbed inside.
Tim walked around and hopped in, cranking the truck and pulling out of the parking lot. He turned left, heading away from town. His foot pressed harder on the gas at the anticipation of finally getting Julie alone for more than a few seconds.
"The Alamo Freeze is the other way." Julie said, breaking into his thoughts.
"I know." He said with a smirk, turning to meet her gaze.
Julie grinned, realizing that he never had any intention of going to the crowded hangout spot. Tim reached across the seat, grabbing her small hand and holding it in his own. He didn't know who was more shocked – he or Julie. But it felt right. And he just wanted to have her close, touch her in some way.
It didn't take long to reach the outskirts of town, and Tim maneuvered his old truck out to the cliffs. They really weren't cliffs, just some deep ravines left over from an old mining camp, but they had served as Tim's getaway spot since he had been old enough to drive.
This was where he came to get away from life's shitty days – fights with Billy, dealing with Street's accident, rough practices – Tim had come here for all that. But now he was coming for a different reason, which made it all that much sweeter.
He killed the engine, silence enveloping the truck as he looked out over the landscape.
"Wow. I didn't even know this was here." Julie said after a few seconds, her eyes scanning the deep ravines before coming to rest on Tim. "Is this where you bring all your women?" She asked, a hint of laughter in her voice.
Tim shook his head as he turned to look at her. "You're the first." He said truthfully.
"That's sweet." Julie said softly, a smile on her face as she scooted closer and leaned in to give him a kiss.
That was all the invitation Tim needed as he wrapped his hands around her waist, moving her to sit across his lap as he brought his lips down on hers.
Tim had had his fair share of women, but there was something about Julie's kisses that drove him just a little crazier, made him just a little hotter. Maybe it was the soft sounds she made in her throat as he deepened the kiss, his tongue exploring her mouth. Or maybe it was the way her soft curves fit so well against his chest, the way she strained against him as she tried to get closer.
He didn't know. He just knew that with Julie he felt differently than with any other girl, which he guessed made since. She wasn't like any other girl. No, Julie Taylor was one of a kind.
He moved his mouth toward her neck, leaving a trail of kisses down to her collarbone and then back up to her ear. He smiled as he heard her quick intake of breath and kissed harder on the tender skin of her neck right below her ear. He smirked as he felt her hands tighten in his hair. He had found her weak spot.
Time seemed to stop as they sat in the cab of his truck, both getting lost in each other. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but he couldn't quite believe it when the sound of Julie's cell phone filled his ears.
This was twice now that the damn thing had interrupted them. He knew she needed to answer it though. If it was her parents and she didn't answer, she would be in trouble. And then they would be asking questions about where she was and why she didn't answer. He cared too much about her for her to get into trouble. And he sure as hell didn't want them finding out about them, at least not yet.
"Let it go." Julie mumbled, trying to pull him back toward her.
"You better answer it." Tim said, his lips brushing lightly against hers.
Julie huffed, clearly not happy with being interrupted. He knew how she felt.
"Damn phone." She muttered as she grabbed the phone out of her bag and opened it.
Tim grinned. It always seemed funny to him when Julie cursed. Those words just didn't seem right coming out of her sweet little mouth.
"Hello." She answered. "Hey mom." She said, rolling her eyes at Tim as she settled back into his arms.
Tim tightened his arm around her waist, as his other hand settled on her leg. He listened to Julie's end of the conversation as she talked with her mother, his fingers beginning to draw circles on her denim-covered thigh.
"Alright, mom. Yeah, I love you too. Bye." Julie said, flipping her phone shut and meeting Tim's gaze. "She said for us to head on home and to stop by the store and get some milk for Gracie."
Tim nodded, taking a deep breath as he looked at her, her face inches from his own. She really was a pretty girl, but there was something else too. A sweetness of some sort. Something Tim couldn't really explain. But he considered himself pretty lucky to be sitting there with her in his lap, a smile on her lips.
"Alright." He said finally, dropping a quick, hard kiss on her lips.
He helped her scoot back over to her spot, starting the truck and heading back toward town. He reached across, lacing his fingers through hers, once again just wanting to be close to her. She smiled sweetly at him, making him feel like a million bucks.
Tim smiled back, already thinking about the next time that he and Julie could be alone.
Julie stood in the gym, Lois at her side as they cheered along with the rest of the student body at the Panthers weekly pep rally. The players were all sitting on the make shift stage, watching as the cheerleaders performed a dance routine.
Julie's gaze was drawn to Tim as he sat in front, his hands dangling between his knees as he leaned forward. She watched as he laughed at something Bradley said, smiling at the sight. Tim was gorgeous all of the time, even during his broody moments, but he was almost stunningly gorgeous when he laughed or smiled.
She still couldn't quite believe the feelings that had grown between them, how they had went from mere acquaintances, to good friends, to dating. Well, not dating really, considering that all they were currently doing was sneaking around.
It was also still a little shocking to think Tim wanted her when he could have his share of women. The way he looked at her sometimes, and the way his kisses made her feel was almost too much. The only serious boyfriend she had ever had was Matt, and Tim and Matt were definitely different.
Things with Matt had always been comfortable and playful, and even a little awkward at times. She felt that way with Tim too, completely comfortable and playful as well, but it was like her relationship with him was on the next level. She had been with Tim for a shorter period of time, but the kisses and the need to be with him was already stronger than it had ever been with Matt.
It was getting hard not to tell anyone. Julie was a talker, and she wanted so badly to gush to someone about how happy she was and about how she felt about Tim. But she didn't have anyone she could tell.
Lois would spread the word like wildfire, that is if she didn't die of a heart attack first. The only person she could really talk to was Tim, and she wasn't about to spill all her girly thoughts and feelings to him when they were all about him. God, that'd send him running for sure.
"Oh my God! I think Tim Riggins is looking up here at you." A short, brunette sitting in front of Julie said nudging the blonde girl beside her.
Julie looked at the girls, not knowing their names but recognizing them as rally girls. Julie watched as the blonde looked his way, smiling flirtatiously as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. "I think he is looking at me. God, he's so fine."
Julie had to control the urge to gag at the girls as they talked about Tim, giggling and smiling at him. She wanted to tell them that they were sadly mistaken. Tim wasn't looking at them, he was looking at her! That would wipe the fake smiles right off their faces.
But she couldn't say anything. To those girls and all the girls in the school, Tim was single and fair game no matter how badly she wanted to inform everyone otherwise.
She sighed, turning her eyes back toward the stage and meeting his gaze. He smiled and gave her a slow wink, making her cheeks redden as she looked down at the floor before glancing around, hoping that no one else had seen that.
When she looked back at him a few seconds later he was chuckling, obviously amused at her embarrassment. She stuck her tongue out at him, the action almost too quick to see. She knew he had seen though, a smirk on his full lips as he ran his hand through his hair.
The rest of the pep rally passed by pretty much drama-free. Julie didn't have to hurt any rally girls, and she and Tim managed to keep their glances from hopefully drawing anyone's attention.
She filed out of the gym and out into the hallway, listening to Lois ramble about the night's upcoming game. She jumped as someone grabbed her from behind, turning to see Tim standing behind her.
"Hey." She said, trying not to sound as thrilled to see him as she really was.
"Hey." He replied, a grin on his lips as he looked down at her.
"H-hey, Tim." Lois said, stepping closer to Julie.
"Hey, Lois." He said, giving her a smile.
Julie glanced at Lois, noticing the dreamy look in her eyes. Julie had always given Lois a hard time about her infatuation with Tim, but Julie really couldn't say too much now. She pretty much felt the same way.
"Hey Jules, you left that uh, book you've been reading in my truck this morning." Tim said, giving Julie a look.
Julie knew he was lying. The book she was reading was in her backpack.
"Oh yeah, that book." She said casually. "I better get that before I go. Lois, I guess I'll see you at the game." She said, giving her friend a quick smile.
"Alright. Bye Julie. Bye Tim." Lois said, giving him another big smile.
Tim gave her a smile and a quick wave, placing his hand on the small of Julie's back as he ushered her back the other way down the hall.
"Smooth move, Riggins." Julie said quietly, a smirk on her face.
Tim chuckled. "Hey, it worked."
Julie didn't have time to respond as Tim came to an abrupt stop, looking up and down the now empty hallway before opening a door and all but shoving Julie inside.
"Tim, what are you doing?" She asked, looking around the empty classroom, turning as he shut the door behind them.
"This." He said roughly, cupping her face in his hands and placing his mouth on hers.
Julie kissed him back, leaning into him as she dropped her backpack on the floor before wrapping her arms around his waist.
"I didn't know you were such a tease, Taylor." He said softly, smiling at her before he began trailing kisses down her neck.
Julie bit her lip, loving the feel of his mouth on her skin. "Tease?" She managed to get out, finding it hard to concentrate as his hands trailed from her back down to her ass, pulling her closer.
"Yeah." He said, dropping a kiss on her lips. "All that flirting in the gym. And then you were just gonna leave."
Julie snorted, looking up at him. "Whatever. You were the one winking – winking for God's sake – right there in front of everyone. Those rally girls sitting in front of me thought you were staring at them."
Tim shrugged, clearly not bothered at all by her words. And why would he be? He was probably used to it.
"You should have set 'em straight." He said with a smirk, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.
"And what? Told them that you were looking at me?" Julie said with a dry laugh. "Rumors would really be all over the school then. Even worse than they already are."
Julie felt his arms tense slightly around her as she saw an almost hurt look pass across his face. "Tim, what's wrong? What'd I say?" She asked worriedly, placing her hand on his chest.
Tim shook his head, shrugging slightly as he looked around – looking anywhere but at her.
"Tim, come on. What's wrong?" She asked softly, not wanting him to shut down on her.
He sighed, leaning back against the wall. "You don't want anyone to know you're with me. I get it." He said, shrugging his shoulders almost defiantly.
"Tim, I don't want people to know about us because you're living in my house. That's the only reason. Can you imagine what would happen if my parents found out? You would have to leave, and then where would you go? Back to scary ferret dude? I don't think so." Julie said in a rush, closing the distance between them as she stepped forward, her chest brushing against his. "I swear that's the only reason. I'm not ashamed or embarrassed or any of those other crazy thoughts that are obviously going through that hard head of yours, so just forget that." She said, looking into his eyes as she spoke the truth.
She watched as he nodded slightly, a small smile appearing on his lips. Tim was worried that she only wanted him on the side – in secret. Julie would have been offended if the whole idea didn't make her sad. Tim obviously didn't see himself as good enough for her, which hurt her heart.
She guessed she would just have to show him that he was good enough. More than good enough really. He was exactly what she wanted, what she needed.
"I wanted to tell those rally girls to stick it today, and that you were mine." She said, smiling as he slipped his strong arms around her waist.
"Yours, huh?" He said, a heart-stopping smile on his lips. "I never took you for the jealous type, Jules."
"I didn't know I was." She answered honestly, her hands resting on his firm chest as she looked at him.
He made a low sound in his throat as he leaned closer. "I like it." He whispered as his lips found hers once again.
Julie ran her hands up his chest and behind his neck, pulling back slightly. "I like this." She replied with a chuckle.
And she did like his kisses - a lot. Maybe as much as she liked Tim himself.