Title: Lonely No More

A/N: Hope you ladies had a good weekend! Thanks for all the feedback, alerts, and favorites. Here's the next installment of Tim and Julie time. Enjoy :D

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"Billy, you can't wash windows worth shit." Herc stated loudly, shaking his head back and forth.

Tim chuckled, seeing the go-to-hell look Billy passed to Herc as they put the finishing touches on remodeling the old Garrity house.

The three of them, along with Jason had worked their asses off the past few weeks, painting and rebuilding parts of the home to hopefully sell and make some quick money.

They were pretty much finished, and all in all, Tim thought the house looked pretty damn good considering that the four of them didn't know a thing about remodeling houses.

"Herc, I've got a huge bandage on my hand. It's kind of hard to wipe this window with that in the way." Billy huffed, giving the sliding glass door one last wipe before throwing the rag down.

"Well, excuse me." Herc drawled. "It ain't my fault you shot a damn nail through your hand cause you can't use a nail gun."

A muffled laugh escaped from Tim's mouth, earning him a dirty look from Billy.

"Shut up, Tim." Billy said quickly, crossing his arms defensively as he leaned back against the wall.

"Boys, boys." Jason admonished, rolling into the room. "Well guys, I do believe that we're finished."

"Seriously?" Tim asked, glancing around at the house.

"Yep. I think that's everything." Jason nodded, a smile on his face. "Now all we gotta do is actually sell it."

"That shouldn't be too hard." Herc said quickly. "Nice house, nice neighborhood…it'll get sold quick."

"I hope so." Billy muttered, letting out a deep breath. "Mindy's already talkin' about wedding plans."

"Billy and Mindy sittin' in a tree…k-i-s-s-i-n-g…" Herc sang playfully, earning him a slap in the back of the head from Billy. "Hey!" He said, rubbing his head.

"Y'all are worse than little kids." Jason muttered, shaking his head. "What do you boys say we go celebrate?"

"Sounds good." Herc replied, a huge grin on his face.

"Yeah, a beer sounds real good right about now." Billy agreed with a nod.

"Timmy?" Jason asked, looking his way.

"I can grab a quick drink, but I gotta pick Julie up from work in a few hours." Tim drawled.

"Ah man, you are so whipped." Herc said with a laugh, the others laughing along with him.

Tim smirked, shrugging his shoulders. "At least I got a woman."

"That is true." Herc admitted, a grin on his lips. "A fine-looking woman if I do say so myself. All that long hair…gets a man to thinkin'"

"Julie is a looker." Jason agreed. "Not sure what she's doin' with you though, Riggins." He said playfully.

Tim stood, shaking his head. "Me neither." He said with a smirk.

"Maybe I had it all wrong." Herc said, looking from Billy to Tim. "Maybe it should be, Tim and Julie sitting in a tree…k-i-s-s…" Herc sang again, ducking as Tim slapped him in the back of the head. "Damn it! You Riggins' boys are violent today."

Billy laughed, clapping Tim on the back as if to say 'good job'.

Jason shook his head. "Let's go get that beer. I need it if I'm gonna have to put up with y'all much longer."

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"Are you serious?" Julie asked, her voice filled with laughter. "Billy really shot a nail through his hand with a nail gun?"

Tim nodded. "Serious." He replied, smiling as she continued to laugh.

God, he loved that sound. And the look on her face when she laughed – so open and carefree.

He had picked her up from work and they had driven out to the cliffs, wanting to just get away from everyone and everything for a little while.

They sat near the edge, in a patch of grass as the big Texas sun sank below the horizon, casting a rainbow of colors over the sky.

He and Julie had been dating for several weeks now, and he honestly didn't think he could be any happier.

He had never been one for relationships, but he found that he enjoyed being in one with Julie.

It was nice to have someone there for you when you needed them.

She listened to him, and encouraged him, and had become his biggest defender, which was kind of funny considering she was such a little thing.

He also got a sense of satisfaction out of trying to be there for her as well.

Tim wasn't used to having someone depend on him, but he was getting used to it.

She didn't try to change him. Hell, she probably encouraged him to be himself more than anything, but he found himself wanting to be better for her.

And he sure as hell enjoyed all the kissing and making out. It hadn't gone any farther than that yet, which most people probably wouldn't believe.

He was known for his one-night stands, and he sure as hell enjoyed sex, but he didn't want to rush Julie into anything.

He didn't want it to be something she'd regret. And though it was frustrating at times for both of them, he figured they'd know when the time was right.

"So, what happens now? Do y'all have anybody lined up to buy the house?" She asked with a smile, bringing him back to the conversation.

"Jay's got some real estate agent working on it." He shrugged. "So, we'll see what happens."

Julie nodded, brushing her wind-blown hair back out of her face. "I'm sure it'll sell quickly. I hope so anyway, I know that you guys need the money."

Tim nodded slightly. "Yeah, Billy's already fussing about how much this wedding's gonna cost him."

"Tyra said that Mindy's picking out all this pink stuff. Like really girly, frou-frou type stuff." Julie said, leaning in to pat him on the chest as she giggled. "I don't think I've ever seen you in pink before, but I guess I better prepare myself."

"Pink?" Tim drawled, a frown on his face. "For real?"

"For real." Julie grinned. "But, no worries. I'm sure you look fabulous in pink. It's gotta be better than plaid." She said playfully, laughing as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

"Are you makin' fun of me, Jules?" He growled playfully, nuzzling his nose against her neck.

Damn, she smelled better than any girl had a right to.

It was a scent that he couldn't put his finger on - sweet and spicy all in one.

It was simply Jules.

"I'm just sayin'…" She replied, wrapping her arms around his neck as he easily pulled her over into his lap.

"You don't like my plaid shirts?" Tim asked, trying to give her his best wounded look.

"I didn't say that." Julie responded, running a hand over his chest, popping the top button of his shirt open. "But, I think I'd like 'em better off of you, than on you."

Tim smirked. He loved when she was like this – all flirtatious and brave.

It made him want her even more.

"Well, that can be arranged." He mumbled, pulling her head toward his as he placed his lips on hers, teasing and tasting her with his mouth.

He grinned as he felt her sigh, her body all but melting against his.

He knew how she felt, because she did the same thing to him.

Julie leaned closer, running her fingers into his hair, trying to pull him even closer to her.

Tim groaned at the feel of her fingers on his scalp, but he pulled back as he felt her laughing against his lips. "What?"

"You've got something in your hair." She mumbled, pulling his head forward to look, laughing louder. "It's paint. How'd you get paint in your hair?"

"Herc and Billy kind of had a paint war earlier, and I got stuck in the middle." He drawled, watching her eyes light up.

"I'd like to have seen that." She said, a smile on her pink lips.

Lord, but she was gorgeous when she smiled like that and Tim couldn't help but to kiss her once again.

There was something about kissing Julie that made him feel like he was kissing for the first time.

She made him feel such a strong, swift rising of desire, that he felt like he may never catch his breath again.

Tim ran his tongue softly and slowly across the inner edge of her upper lip, tasting the sweet warmth of her. He coaxed her mouth open wider, teasing her with his lips.

He felt his body tighten as a small moan escaped from her lips.

Julie was giving as good as he gave, matching the caress of his tongue with her own, as her hands wound through his paint-covered hair.

Tim's mouth abandoned her lips, beginning a trail of open-mouth kisses down her neck as his hands slid underneath the edge of her shirt, running his thumbs slowly back and forth over the soft skin of her abdomen.

Julie leaned her head back, giving him plenty of room and shivering as Tim ran his tongue from the base of her throat to her chin where he stopped and nibbled before capturing her mouth again.

Tim continued the kiss, imprisoning her lips with his own, tasting her heat and doing his best to lose himself in the feel of her tongue gently teasing his.

He wanted to kiss her senseless.

He wanted to sink himself inside of her and not come out.

He wanted to take everything she had to offer and give her every piece of himself.

But he couldn't do it here.

And he couldn't do it now.

He couldn't rush with her like he had with all the others.

She was worth more even if she didn't realize it.

He pulled back slowly, dropping small, quick kisses on her lips, nose, and eyebrow before pulling back fully.

He felt his gut tighten at the sight of her heavy-lidded eyes and plump, kissable lips.

He wanted nothing more than to lay her back in the grass and have his way with her.

But as she leaned forward and laid her head on his chest with a small sigh, he knew that he'd wait forever if that's what it took.

Because the kissing and petting, and just having her in his arms was better than any sex he'd ever had before.

Just because it was Julie.