Playing for Keeps: "I'll be there if you're the toast of the town, babe, or if you strike out and you're crawling home." All Human. You know who this about.
AN: First and foremost, I am a die-hard T.S. girly. I have been since I saw her at the fair in 2006 and will go down fighting for her. For that reason, please no obvious T.S. slander here.
Secondly, the events of this fic are BASED off of the whirlwind romance of her and a certain football player, as well as as some other events in her life, but I am not going to directly copy and paste (or at least try not too, some are just too cute.) and I'll toss some things their way for the sake of the plot. There will be reference to some darker themes.
Lastly, I know jack about football so bear with me while I learn.
All mistakes and Matt Healy, Jake Gyllenhaal, and John Mayer hate are my own.
1. Voted Most Likely to Run Away
"How does it feel getting ready to play so close to your home town?" The interviewer asked, shoving a microphone into the singer's face. Esme Cullen muted the large television across the room before she could respond, turning her attention back to the kitchen table.
"Bella Swan is from Washington?" Her son asked, squinting his eyes at the television as the beautiful brunette on the screen spoke softly, crossing her arms over her midsection. She was clearly uncomfortable with the interviewer.
"Yeah! She's from a small town out near the coast where Dad goes to hike." Bree, his little sister said from beside him. She was busy shoving spoonfuls of cereal into her mouth, eyes never leaving the television. "Mom, Bella is talking. We have to listen to her. "
"We can listen to her later. You need to eat. You're going to be late to school if you miss your mouth and need to change your clothes." Esme said disdainfully, but turned to look over her shoulder to ensure the little recording red dot was flashing on the cable box. Bree panicked, turning to her silver spoon, ensuring none of the milk dripped down the front of her Bella Swan t-shirt.
"What about you? What are your plans for the day?" Esme turned her attention to her son, Edward, reaching to run a thin finger through his short copper hair. He stared at his own breakfast in front of him, barely touched.
"I have to go down to HQ this afternoon and meet with the athletic trainer. Probably gonna sit and watch practice." He muttered.
"How are you getting down there?" She gestured to the sling keeping his arm and shoulder firmly in place. The doctor and his mother have banned him from driving until further notice ensuring his precious Aston Martin sat parked in his parent's garage rotting away instead of rolling about in the rare Washington sunshine where it belonged. He only frowned at her question.
"Dad?" It was more of a question, than an answer.
Esme shrugged and looked toward the stairs. "If he's still here."
"I can call Emmett."
"He's all the way on the other side of town, isn't he?"
"I guess. We'll be sitting in nasty traffic either way. "
"Isn't traffic nasty every day?"
"Worse than usual. This concert is a pretty damn big deal I guess." He took a bite of his eggs.
"It is." Bree said, shoving another spoonful into her mouth. "I can't believe we didn't get chosen for presale." She sniffled. "Three days. Bella Swan is playing here for three days and they're all sold out. Dad won't even consider looking at the resale prices."
"That's because we're not spending $10,000 per ticket. It'd have to be Bella Swan or college with those prices." Carlisle said, finally coming down the stairs. He pecked his wife on the cheek. "Don't worry about calling Emmett. I'll drop you this morning. Might have to catch a ride home with someone though."
"Public transit also exists." Esme chirped.
"So unfair." Bree said and Edward rolled his eyes, "Call Make-a-wish. They made the Hannah Montana tour happen."
"That was when you were five." Carlisle called, pouring himself a cup of coffee.
"What exactly was the point of having childhood cancer if I can't exploit it for my whole life?" Bree deadpanned, her light blonde ponytail shaking her behind her as she muttered something about checks and balances under her breath.
Esme scoffed at her youngest and got up to take her plate to the sink. .
"Perks go away once you're in remission for a decade, kid, sorry." Carlisle said, swooping in to kiss his daughter on the head.
"Maybe Edward can sneak you into her dressing room. He knows all the secret nooks and crannies of that field." Mom teased, but frowned. Bree loved Bella Swan more than anything and was devastated when they didn't get selected for tickets. Not for Seattle, not for Los Angeles, nowhere.
"He does not." Edward said.
"I vote for you to get a ride with Emmett. Put me in his trunk. Sneak me in. Isn't he going to the show with Victoria?" She grumbled, cursing their cousins.
"And what about the essentials? Like air? Ya' know…to breathe?" Edward teased.
"I don't care about air, I care about Bella Swan."
Edward laughed, but Bree continued
"What's the point of having a famous quarterback for a brother if he can't even get you concert tickets?"
-PFK-
"Let's go another week or two in this thing then we'll get you into some more serious physical therapy. I need to chat with Embry about the plan. Everything looks wonderful though, Ed. I wouldn't worry." Sam said, looking over his shoulder. He squeezed the muscles, angled it in circular motions, the same thing he'd been dealing with the several other times he'd been this exact spot with Sam. Edward shifted on the examination table, the paper crinkling beneath him. The trainer said the same thing the doctor did: to keep the faith. He trusted them because he didn't really have a choice, did he? He had to. He didn't really have much else in his life at the moment.
This injury, a stupid mishap during practice, threatened to take that away from him. What he wanted to do was run—it would help him think, help him forget. What's a guy like him without his throwing arm? It sounded pathetic in his head. He sounded like the other meatheads he and his friends joked about. There was more to life than football, but now that it came to the wire, was there? He hated disappointed fans, but most importantly, he hated disappointing himself. He worked so hard to get to where he was and he was on the verge of leaving it in the dust.
"Sounds good." He nodded, not bothering to hide his frown.
"I mean it, kid. We'll get you back in tip-top shape. I know how it feels, I've been there. Have you talked to Quil?"
He shuddered and shook his head. No, he had not talked to the team psychologist, and he didn't plan on it.
"These kinds of injuries…they can mess with your head, Edward. Don't be afraid to talk to him."
Edward sighed, nodding at the old man. "Sure thing, Sam."
"There's more to life than Lumen field."
"I know." He said, getting up. Did he? "Are we…done?"
"Yeah, we are." Sam hesitated, but let it go. "Stop and see the coach though, he wanted to talk to you about something."
He left, not even looking at Quill's office, as he passed it.
Running again.
-PFK-
"Excuse me." Edward said, turning flat against the wall as a group of people moved down the hall from Coach Chaney's office. A man with a mustache led the group, followed by two thicker men that could rival their own team linemen, surrounding a thin brunette girl. The bigger men looked at him, one nodding at him in recognition, but he only caught the dark coffee colored eyes behind them as he passed by.
Chocolate, coffee, things that are sweet, warm–that's what those eyes reminded him of as he made his way to the office. They didn't leave his mind until the coach's door closed behind him.
-PFK-
Edward ignored the looks of his teammates as he slammed the locker shut. Emmett and Jasper must have already left for the day. He did little at their practice today, but sat anyway and tried to look anywhere but the field as the alternate quarterback, James, got a little too happy running through the plays.
"Hey Edward, you have a little sister right?" Mike Newton, a running back, said, approaching him with a towel slung over his shoulder.
Edward turned, quirking his brow at his teammate. "Uh, yeah. She's 12."
"So odds are in my favor that she's a Bella Swan fan?"
"You'd be right on the money." Edward said as he slung a bag over his good shoulder. "It's all she talks about."
"Any chance you want VIP tickets for tonight? My girlfriend is sick and isn't going to make it. Bella Swan is hot and all, but not sure going to her show alone like a creep is my thing."
"VIP tickets?"
"Yeah, she does this tent on the floor for very important individuals, like myself." Newton smirked but shrugged. "Coach had a few tickets to give out. I think it was when you were…out. He's friends with her dad or something. Anyway, you want em'? I think McCarty and his kid sister are going. Crowley is too. "
His heart raced at the thought of the stupid, megawatt smile that would surely be permanently stuck on Bree's face.
"Hell yeah I want them. My sister is going to die. She's been making friendship bracelets or some shit all week with her friends."
"I'll text you the details." Mike said, nodding and slapped him on the back. His eyes trailed down to the sling on my other. "Maybe you can…cover that with glitter or something. Gonna be ready for the season? "
"Sam says a few more weeks and I'll be outta this thing."
"Hoping for it. James has been eying the field permanently."
"He can eye the bench." Edward huffed, but nodded to his friend in thanks.
-PFK-
"What if I told you I'm the best brother on the planet?" Edward said as he walked with Bree. The street was crowded with people flooding through the city. He tucked the pink slip he used to get her out of class into his jean pocket. He might have pulled the famous brother on the sweet ladies in the school administration office.
"Because you pulled me out of school? Mom's gonna kill you. I had a Spanish test today." Bree whined.
"Lo siento mucho. I mean, I can totally take you back to school if you don't wanna get pizza with me before the concert tonight. Thought you'd appreciate the extra time to make more of your friendship bracelets or whatever mess you've been making in the living room the past week."
Bree's eyes widened, and she dropped her brother's hand as her jaw hit the sidewalk. "Shut up. Say sike right now. No, don't. Shut up." Tears welled in her green eyes as she looked up at him. "Are you serious? How?"
"What's the point of having a quarter-back for a brother if he can't even get you Bella Swan tickets?" He mocked her. "Yes, Bree. We're in the VIP tent. One of the guys had some extra tickets. Not sure if the seats are great, but you'll be at the Bella Swan concert. Your 12-year-old life goals are complete."
"First the Bella Swan concert, next the White House. Everything happens if we manifest it." Bree said, pumping her fists into the air.
"I'd like to manifest a slice of pepperoni and pineapple." He retorted, reaching his good hand down to take hers. "Let's go, you can give me the 411 on all things Bella Swan."
-PFK-
"No, Edward, you need to have a color pattern. Your beads are purple, you need to make something from the Speak Now era."
"The what?" He said, a few hours later. His parents' kitchen table was currently covered in bowls of beads with every color known to man, letters, numbers, and bobbles.
"The Speak Now era." Emmett said obviously, stringing together a band of sparkly white and black beads. "God, get educated number 17."
Emmett's little sister Victoria nodded. "Speak now is her best era. She just re-released that album."
"Re-released?" Bree explained it once earlier in the day, but he mostly nodded along because the 411 he requested was overwhelming.
"We say f…fudge Aro Volturi from Vamp records in this house. Bella's version only." Emmett quipped. "She's re-releasing all her albums because when she does that they'll be hers. Nobody but her will own them. Reputation next please." He emphasized the black beads dramatically.
"Yeah, fudge him. And Alec. And Jacob Black."
"No, we like Alec." Bree said. "They were together for six years, plus he's British."
"Fudge Jacob Black then."
"I thought public enemy number one was Garrett Hunt." Edward said, looking at Bree. He remembered that much from their lunchtime conversation about everything Bella Swan. She and actor Garrett Hunt apparently dated eons ago, but it was still 'hot tea' as she said with a mouthful of pizza.
"Don't speak that name in this house." She scolded. "He is but he's the Red era ex."
"Too many names to remember." Edward said, looking at the beads. He picked up another purple one and strung it onto the thin string.
"Gotta give it to her though. Dating is tough in the spotlight. I can't tell you how many times I've gone out with one of my cousins and suddenly I've got a flavor of the week. If we've got it bad…" Emmett considered, adding red to his bracelet.
Edward grunted in agreement. The tabloids were the worst part of the job. They were always looking for something to report on—a scandal, a secret, what they ate to stay fit, a career-ending injury. Literally anything and it was annoying as hell. He didn't even let his mind go to his dating life. His last ex Maria had the time of her life in front of the camera while he had a habit of turning the other direction. Edward Cullen, quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks and voted most likely to run away.
Not just from the cameras.
"Crowley said he made a bracelet with his number on it. He's gonna try to give it to her."
"Tyler Crowley? The linebacker?" Victoria asked, racking her brain for his face. "No. Pass. She'll throw it in the trash."
"As she should." Emmett muttered under his breath.
"Bella needs someone better. The quarterback or something." Victoria continued.
"Your move, bro." Emmett teased, tying off his bracelet. Edward rolled his eyes, grabbing more purple beads. "Let me know if she'll consider a center."
"Please, Bella has more important things to do than date the boy on the football team." Bree said. Out of the corner of his eye, Edward swore he saw his little sister looking over the small pile of number beads.
-PFK-
"Who's getting the hat?" Victoria asked, fixing the absurd amount of bracelets on her wrist, turning to Bree. "How do they pick?" They arrived not long ago to the small tent in the center of the floor. The girls looked like children in a candy store, trading bracelets and waving at people who waved at them. "Oh my god, this is the celebrity tent. What if there's an actual celebrity here?"
"Rude. We literally got you here." Emmett called from the other side of Victoria. "Alright, squirts. This is the only merch and drink run I'll be doing. So text me your sizes and beverage requests." He said as he scooted away before the chaos.
"Mama Swan picks, so just dance really crazy." Bree answered, ignoring her older cousin, fixing her own bracelets to fix the flashing wristband they got at the entrance. The giant pink heart on her face glimmered under the lights of the stadium.
"A hat?" Edward said, reaching to take a bracelet a girl gave him from across the floor. He smiled at her and tossed her one of the many he'd been given from passing fans. His face was painted to match Bree's, a dark purple 13 on his cheek. The girls painted his white brace with different Bella Swan album names. His sister had better be glad he loved her because there had been several phones pointed in their direction and the show hadn't even started.
"Bella gives a fan a hat at the end of one of her songs. Her mom, Renee, picks someone to get it." Bree said like it was obvious. She stared at her phone, snapping selfies and probably texting Emmett.
"How do you know so much about this damn concert?" He asked. She knew it like the back of her hand. Screw a Spanish test, his sister should teach a class about the Era's tour.
"TikTok?" Bree offered.
"Brain rot." He scoffed.
"Brain rot, cat videos, and education." She amended and slid her phone in her pocket. "I can't believe we're actually here!"
"Edward! Can we grab a pic of you and your little sis?" A photographer yelled carrying a heavy-looking camera. He looked down to his sister, who nodded. Edward knelt down, throwing his good arm around Bree as they both flashed the cameras big grins.
Bree and Victoria went back to dancing as another opening act came on stage.
"Edward Cullen right?" An older man said, looking out through the crowd before smiling up at the quarterback. He vaguely recognized him, his dark eyes looking familiar..
"That's right." He said, nodding. The man reached out to shake his hand and Edward returned it.
"My wife and I are big fans. Saw you guys play in Glendale and wow, what a win. Seattle winning the Super Bowl? What a time."
"Definitely an incredible experience playing in it." Edward smiled. It sure felt better than this did.
"Your daughter?" The man nodded his chin over to the dancing girls.
"Oh no, little sister. She's been talking about this show for months. Glad we got to get her here."
"Happy to see the tickets I gave Ben are going to good use." The man smiled, his mustache twitched.
"They definitely are." He agreed, when the thought hit him. "You know Coach Chaney?"
"Sure do. Great guy, even better coach. Bella and I went to visit him this morning. Thought that was you at HQ."
"Charlie Swan." Edward said, raising his hand in recognition. He was the man from this morning, which meant that the girl was. "Coach raved about you. I had to go up there today to check in with the team trainer and I think he spent 45 minutes just talking about seeing you. You played ball together in college?"
"Sure did. I was a tight-end for Ohio State for three years before a knee injury took me out." He said, motioning to the brace. "Making the best of it? I read about your injury at training. Will you be fixed up by the time the season starts?"
"Should be. Hoping for the best. My little sister had to get creative." He raised his arm an inch, a bright blue 1989 at the front.
"I love it." He smiled and his eyes lit up as a woman crossed the barrier into the VIP tent. "Ah, there's Renee! Enjoy the show!"
Edward turned, taking in the small woman with her long dark hair swept into a ponytail at her side. Her warm brown eyes landed on the two girls dancing, then flashed to her husband, who jerked his head toward Bree.
Renee's smile widened as she approached the kids, stopping in front of Bree and admiring her costume. She took off her own friendship bracelets and swapped them with the girls before she pulled Edward's sister aside and pointed toward a small area in front of the stage. When Bree burst out with excitement, nodding her head vigorously toward Bella's mother, Edward grinned. Maybe it was a little like the superbowl.
-PFK-
Halfway through the show, Edward had a hard time standing still. He danced to the beat of her music, laughing with her as she babbled randomly to the crowd in between songs. She was beautiful—he knew that, but there was something magical about her in her element. Bella's long brown hair fell down her back as she skipped around the stage. Her shorts were tiny, revealing long toned legs he had a hard time tearing his eyes from. Though, her father lurking around certainly helped combat those thoughts. He'd learned more about her through his time in the tent—she rarely canceled a show, even performed in the rain. There was little she loved more than her fans. Charlie and Renee still owned their big house on the outskirts of Forks, Washington but they, as they made sure to tell all of the players present, remained loyal Seahawk fans wherever their daughter's career took them.
Bree nearly froze when Renee led her to the small area at the edge of the stage during one set. A black fedora hat covered Bella's long hair as she sang; a big white t-shirt with a sarcastic saying and tiny black shorts left little to Edward's imagination. Her dancers followed her around, bright red clouds of color. Bella ran away from the crowd as Bree stepped up to a small platform.
"Hi Sweetie! Thank you for coming! I hope you're having a great time." Bella Swan said to Bree, quickly dropping to her knees on the stage. Bree laughed and smiled through her tears, taking in the moment as Bella reached to wrap her arms around her. She ignored the rest of the screaming fans.
"I'm having the best time. I love you so much." Bree yelled over the roar of the crowd..
"You're so sweet. What's your name?" Bella said, looking at her. She froze for a second, taking in the small girl's bright green eyes. She'd seen those exact eyes earlier on one of her father's errands. Bella shook it off, focusing on the girl, grinning as she took the hat off her head and dramatically placed it on Bree's. The audience cheered as Bree smiled at Bella.
Bree offered a few friendship bracelets, and Bella took them without hesitation. "I'm Bree Cullen."
"My brother thinks you're pretty." Bree continued, as Bella raised her hand to put on the bracelets. "He doesn't know I did it, but I put his number on that bracelet. You'd like him, he's cute and plays football for the Seahawks."
Bella laughed, throwing her head back, and looking toward the bracelet on her wrist and sure enough, one of them contained ten digits in an array of colorful beads. Bree reached for another hug and Bella complied, squeezing the girl tight and dropping a kiss on her head. "Thanks Bree. Have a great time tonight!"
"Text him! He's so lonely!" She called as Bella got up. The brunette giggled again, as she raised the microphone to her lips and closed out the song.
As she moved, she couldn't help but glance out into the crowd, finding those same green eyes from earlier in the VIP tent.