They get the news of Smash during the week and it's all anyone can talk about. Tim is in a bad mood and despite her best efforts; Rae can't bring him out of it. So she resorts to her last ditch attempt- she gives him a full, deep massage after practice, something that always puts him nearly to sleep.
"Do you know why I fell in love with you?" She asks softly, kissing his neck and shoulders.
"Because I am perfect?" He mutters sleepily.
"Because you have long hair." She says, laughing.
"Is that a metaphor for my penis?" He wonders aloud and she flicks his ear in protest, laughing.
"No!" She insists. "It's a Minnesota thing. You have long hair, you're big and tough, and if you could stand on a pair of skates without almost breaking your ankles, I would fall in love with you right here and now." She says sweetly.
"You already said you loved me, what is the point of this?" He asks, suddenly twisting around so she's sitting on his stomach.
"To inform you that when I insulted your haircut that first day I met you it was my childish way of saying that I found you adorable and always wanted to do this right here." She says then kisses his neck, ears, and lips.
"Yeah, I'm glad you want to do that." Tim murmurs, removing her shirt, making her squeal.
"Well, hello, stranger." Rae says, looking up when Tim stumbles in. "Where in the hell have you been?"
"Landing strip." He says, squinting into the fridge and emerging with leftover wings that he eats cold.
"And why the hell has my boyfriend been at the infamous Dillon strip club?" She asks, staring at him, open-mouthed.
"Hey, hey, hey." He says, slumping against the doorway and gesturing with a wing. "Seven is going through a break up. And it's my job to help him get over it." He slurs and Rae stands up.
"Well, congratulations Tim Riggins. Aren't you a savior for the broken hearted? You might as well go back to that strip club, cause you're damn close to having your own break up to get over. " She hisses, snatching the wings away from him and hauling him up by the ear.
"Rae, don't be like this." He insists, trying to pull her into a hug. She ducks him and stands at arm's length.
"Get out of my house." She orders. He gapes at her. "Sleep at Billy's. Sleep on the porch. Fuck, sleep at Tyra's or Lyla's or maybe the strip club. It's not like I give a shit anymore." She slams her bedroom door and he groans when he hears the click of the lock.
The next morning she opens the door and finds him curled up on the porch. She nudges him with her toe and he startles awake. He stares at her blearily then sits up, pushing his hair back.
"Rae," He says instantly. "I'm sorry, alright, I'm sorry and I wanted to wake you up with pancakes and French toast and eggs like Carson likes and I'm sorry." He says hurriedly.
"No, Tim." She says tiredly. "Get up. Go to school. You've got a game. I'm over it. I'm done."
"You make it sound like you're done with me." He says quietly and she sighs, looking away from him.
"Maybe I should be." She says softly, not meeting his eye.
"Rae." He scrambles up. "Don't do this."
"Don't do what, Tim? Fall in love with a guy so identical to my father that I can guess where my life is going to go? A guy that comes home late and smells like booze and strippers? That won't be my life. It will not be my life." She vows fiercely and he slides his hand onto the nape of her neck.
"And it won't be." He promises. "Rae, I try to be a better man for you. Sometimes I slip. Sometimes I fall. But every day I try. Because I want all that you want and I will do anything for it. Anything to make you happy, Maisie Rae." He says and Rae closes her eyes. "Never again."
"Promise?" She whispers.
"Every damn day."
They win the next game easily, despite the drama with Smash. Tim leads her off the field with a thousand kisses and treats her like a princess for the next week. She wakes up to breakfast. He does the laundry. He even cleans the gutters and comes home early.
"Alright, you're off the hook." Rae says, stretching up onto her tippy toes and hugging Tim from behind as he does the dishes.
"What?" He asks, twisting to look at her.
"I said you're off the hook. Being a contrite man does not suit you, Tim Riggins." She says, kissing his nose.
"Rae, I was never on the hook." He says and she raises an eyebrow. "Well, you were mad at me, but I mean I'm not just doing this to make sure you're not angry at me. You deserve this. This is the kind of man you deserve."
"Huh." She says thoughtfully, leaning her forehead on his chest. He kisses the top of her head.
"Can you dry?" He mutters and she leans back with a raised eyebrow. He smirks and she smacks him, picking up a dishtowel.
"Think that'll ever be me?" Carden asks, watching the game and as Tim and rest of them blow them out of the water.
"Do… Do you want that to be you?" Rae asks him, stunned. He shrugs, cheering as Landry scores.
"Wouldn't suck." He admits. Rae strides towards Tm on the field confidently.
"Good game baby. Playoffs. Another year, another run at state." She says sweetly, kissing his nose.
"Gonna put another one of these around you neck." He says, lifting the chain that holds his state ring.
"I don't know, two would be pretty heavy." She teases and he raises an eyebrow. "But I'll handle it."
"Yeah, I bet you will." He says, kissing her temple as he walks with her to the locker room.
"Hey, Tim, we gotta talk." She says quietly. "About… About… College? Ok? No?" She calls as he ditches her, running after Matt and smacking his helmet, cheering. She sighs.
"C'mon baby, we got a party!" He yells over his shoulder and she rests her head against his truck.
"Tim." She whispers in the morning, poking his side. "Wake up."
"I'm awake woman, what in the hell do you want?" He grumbles.
"We gotta talk." She insists.
"Can we talk when I'm not hung over?" He asks and she frowns, elbowing him hard in the ribs.
"No, now." She says sternly when he groans in protest. "Tim, you could actually go to college here. We might actually make this work. We need to think about this, we need to consider our options."
"Hey, I got Billy and Jay working on a highlight reel." He proclaims and she stares at him.
"You… You do?"
"Yeah, they've been working on it. We can go over there tonight and look at it if you want. Billy was gonna send it out to all the schools in Texas but if you want to send it to those Minnesota schools, I'll give you a couple copies." He promises, with an arm over his eyes.
"That'd… That'd be great Tim." She says, dumbfounded.
"Yeah, ok. Can you make pancakes?"
"Sure baby."
She walks in the Riggin's household, smiling and greeting Jason, Billy, and Herk. She automatically grabs Tim a new beer and hands it to him, sitting down in front of him.
"Are you ready to see our hard work Rae?" Jason asks and she nods. "Hit the lights and turn it on."
"Shut up!" Billy orders as they settle in around the TV.
"Tim Riggins… Goes to college." Jason announces dramatically and they all cheer. Rae smiles up at him.
"Alright, watch this." Tim instructs her and she's pleased to see a proud gleam in his eye.
"Alright, so you see what he's doing?" Jason asks, as Tim flashes on the screen. "Spotlights you before every play. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 guys to bring him down. Typical Tim Riggins style."
"Look at you." Rae says proudly.
"Look, gets the corner, speed, then power." Jason narrates.
"Tim, this is great." She mutters, squeezing his knee.
"Alright, this is my favorite one. Talk about delivering hits, look at this one." Jason points out as Tim trucks two guys into the end zone.
"So that's where all your brain cells went." Rae teases.
"What single characteristic do you think defines Tim Riggins as a football player?" Jason asks Coach on the video, who pauses.
"Toughness." He says and Tim straightens up. "I've never seen a kid with more fortitude than Tim Riggins. No fear."
"What's your favorite memory of your brother playing football?" Jason asks Billy, who folds his arms.
"Uh, probably watching him get that ring back in '06." He responds, chuckling. Tim gently plays with the chain around Rae's neck. "And after all we've been through together, see him win state, that was… That was probably the happiest day of my life. I was just really proud of him." They all fall silent as the tape ends.
"Jason, that was really nice." Rae says quietly. Billy claps as Jason brushes her compliment off. "Tim Riggins might actually go to college."
"Streeter, thank you. For everything." Billy says, raising his beer.
"Thank you, six." Tim says quietly.
"Cheers." Jason says, raising his glass. "To Tim going to school."
"I can drink to that." Rae says and they all chorus in. She leans up and kisses Tim's cheek, resting her forehead on his chest.
AN: Happy Monday! I've made it through a crazy weekend of weddings and midterms, so I'm happy to report that I finally have time to breathe and give you guys a little Tim and Rae. Leave reviews, thoughts, comments... Hell, even just copy and paste your favorite line into a review and let me know what made you laugh or smile. Hope you guys have a great week and thanks for reading!