Like a Promise

A/N: Hi, friends! GlibLittleActor has a NEW Tulie fic called Secret Shenanigans that I absolutely LOVE! Go check it out!

"Girls like hearts and shit, right?" Tim asked Tyra. Unlike Tim and Lyla, he and Tyra had somehow managed to have a really good friendship despite their history. Their friendship was much, much better than their relationship had ever been.

It probably helped the fact that Tim's brother and Tyra's sister had gotten together. He reckoned they better get along if there was a chance they might be family.

"I don't know," Tyra said with a smirk. She took a pull of the beer she was sharing with Tim. He had insisted they share one when Tyra offered him one, because he didn't want a whole one. He had to remind himself to walk the straight and narrow and get used to it before college. "Does Julie Taylor like hearts and shit?"

"I'm not good at stuff like this, Tyra," Tim grumbled, his cheeks turning pink to Tyra's amusement.

"You mean romantic stuff? You don't gotta tell me that. I remember."

"Okay, hear me out." Tim leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "I know it's all kind of crazy. Like, even I was never dumb enough to think I would date Coach's daughter or get to play college ball."

Tyra's face softened. Despite all of Tim's, let's be honest here, fuck ups, Tyra had always thought he was a good guy deep down. Deep, deep down. Somehow, Julie Taylor pulled that out of him.

"I know I've messed up more than anything else I've ever done, okay? But I'm tryin' hard here, for Jules. I don't deserve any of it, I know that, but I'm tryin' damn hard to do it all right."

"Okay," Tyra said softly. "So, tell me what you're trying to do right."

"You know better than anyone that I'm a dumbass." Tim had long since apologized for what he did to Tyra after Jason's accident. "I mean, the whole town knows. Jules knows, even if she'll never admit it. I know she's worried about me going to Lubbock, so, I dunno, I wanted to get her something before I leave."

"Like a ring?" Tyra asked, eyebrow raised. She took great amusement in watching Tim vehemently shake his head.

"Coach would kill me, I'm not trying to die here. But girls do like jewelry, right? Necklaces and stuff like that?"

"Yeah, they do." It wasn't until now that Tyra ever knew how much she liked to watch Tim Riggins squirm. She thought it was adorable. And she was amazed she wasn't even bitter that Tim never put forth this kind of effort for her. "I think it's a sweet idea. She would love it."

"You really think so?" When Tim peeked up shyly from underneath his eyelashes, he looked much more boyish than his eighteen years.

"Yeah, I do. All girls melt over junk like this, even if we say we won't." Tyra gave him one of her big smiles. "I'll even help you pick one out."

A week later, they went a town over, because of course there were no jewelry stores in Dillon. And Tim, with his stubborn ways, didn't trust ordering something offline.

They settled on a rose gold necklace—"Prettier than yellow gold or silver," according to Tyra—with two intertwined hearts.

"It will be symbolic," Tyra explained. "Together in your hearts even miles about, or something sappy like that."

Tyra was sure it would be a hit. Tim literally had no clue, so he just rolled with the advice of his friend.

"You really think she'll like it?" Tim asked. The necklace felt so light in the palm of his hand.

"I do. It even has hearts and shit," Tyra teased him, earning herself a nervous smile.

This was the kind of help he had needed. When Tim had broached the same plan to Street, he had teased him for going soft.

Tim wasn't sure why, but he was terribly nervous to give it to Julie. It was just a necklace, right? Just something you wear. It wasn't really a big deal.

That's what he was telling himself, anyway. Even so, he keeps it like a secret in a drawer in his bedroom. He was saving it for some plans he already had in place with Julie. With summer winding down, Tim had thought it was only right to take Julie out before things got too busy with their impending school years.

"Curfew is still midnight-thirty!" Coach called to them as Tim led Julie out the front door, his hand on the small of her back.

"Dad, we're going to that concert!" Julie called back with an eye roll. Her dad thought he was hilarious, saying 'midnight-thirty' instead of 'twelve-thirty'.

"Oh, that's right…You get a special two a.m. curfew tonight only!"

Tami tacked on a 'be safe!' as the two teenagers left. Tim opened the truck door for Julie and held a hand out to help her make the step up into the cab in her high heels.

"I'm being spoiled tonight," Julie teased him with a sweet smile. Her brown eyes were sparkling with excitement. There was never a lot to do in Dillon, so she was excited for a 'real' date night with Tim.

"Your feet are going to hurt like hell," Tim told her. He was taking her to a concert for some band Julie liked called Spoon. Tim ever-so-affectionately referred to Julie's taste in music as 'weird garage stuff', though Julie herself called it indie. Whatever it was, this band was playing just a town over.

"I'm sure you'll carry me if I asked really nice." Tim shrugged. The jewelry box the necklace was in made for the slightest of weights in his pocket, though it felt heavier than it was.

Julie had once explained indie music to Tim as it being music that was not mainstream, meaning not a lot of people knew about it. Still, Tim was pretty sure there was a lot of people at the concert venue by the time they got there.

In fact, there was enough that even with Julie's heels, she couldn't properly see the stage. Tim didn't care one way or the other for himself, but he wanted Julie to get something out of it. He helped a giggling Julie lift herself onto his shoulders so she could see better.

Tim wrapped his fingers around the bare skin of her thighs, left exposed by the Daisy Duke style shorts she wore. He felt her own hands play with his hair. If he carefully tilted his head just enough, he could see her smiling and singing along with the band.

He was happy she was happy. Personally, Tim didn't see the appeal of this band. He didn't even mind holding Julie up on his shoulders for the whole concert. It was well after midnight by the time the show ended, but they still had plenty of time to make their curfew.

"How are you tired?" Tim asked a yawning Julie as they made their way back through the crowd. "You didn't even do any standing!"

"Oh, hush," she said, wrapping herself around Tim's waist as soon as they escaped the crush of the crowd. "Thank you for bringing me. I know you hated it."

"I did not hate it." His arm came to rest around Julie's shoulders.

"Well, I know you didn't really like it, so just take my gratitude." Tim dropped a kiss on the top of her blonde head. Despite not even using them for most of the night, Julie kicked her heels off as soon as she was in Tim's truck.

They had plenty of time to get back to Dillon after the concert. Tim snaked a lazy route home, holding Julie's hand the whole time.

"We've still got some time," Tim told Julie as they edged back to Dillon. "Want to see something cool?"

Her face was lit up green from the radio lights as she nodded. So Tim turned the truck left and took her around the outskirts of Dillon until they reached the spot Tim had in mind. From this spot, you could see all the city lights of Dillon. It was mostly street lights, considering what a small town Dillon was, but it was still one of Tim's favorite spots.

Tim backed the truck up so that they could sit on the bed and look out over it all. Julie curled herself up beside him, tucking herself under his arm. "This is pretty."

"I thought you might think so."

"I like tonight."

"Oh, yeah?" Tim hoped she couldn't notice his heartbeat pounding. He couldn't figure out why he was so nervous over this. It wasn't even the necklace; it was the words he had ran through in his head all day. He hoped he could make them come out of his mouth. "Hey, sit up for a second."

Tim positioned Julie in front of him and told her to close her eyes. He hoped that he had enough light to get the necklace around her neck. Moving her hair aside, he clasped it together. The metal was cool against Julie's skin in the muggy summer air.

"What's this?" she asked, opening her eyes and looking down at the intertwined hearts. She picked up where it rested against her chest and held it between her fingertips so she could see it better. No boy had ever bought her jewelry before.

"Tiiiiiim!" Julie dragged his name out farther than three letters ever should be. He gave her a sheepish smile. "I love this!"

She launched herself forward and kissed him on the mouth. Julie was so excited to have it that she didn't even question why he decided to give her a random present in late summer. Her curiosity got the better of her, though, and she had to ask.

"What's this for?" Tim shrugged while Julie positioned herself to rest against his chest.

"I dunno," he said shyly. "I just wanted you to have something, you know, because I'm gonna be leaving."

"Are you afraid I'll forget you as soon as you leave city limits?" Julie teased.

"It's like a promise," Tim said, thinking his own voice sounded lame. "Like, nothing is gonna change next year. I'm all in, with you, and only you, no matter what."

While Tim felt like he was tripping over his words like a complete idiot, Julie wore the biggest smile. She couldn't be happier.

"I'm gonna wear it every day," she told him. "Forever and ever."