OTC l 39.3 - Burn the midnight oil
[Jamie is wears_aredcape and is used with love.]
Something had gone wrong the week before. The Chiefs had won, with Nate point guard of course but something -- hadn't gone right. Something had been screwed up. Despite the fact that Nate had passed the ball and Jermaine had made that last basket something felt -- off. His team's movements weren't fluid enough or -- something. Without being able to put his finger on it, Nathan found himself awake on weeknights even, in the living room with the latest game tape in and if not his latest game tape, the opposing team's.
Leaning forward, his rubbed his face, a yawn escaping as he turned the volume down a bit, trying not to wake Jamie or Haley.
"Daddy?" he heard from behind him. Too late.
"Jimmy-Jam," he said, turning around. "You're still up?" he asked, his eyebrow raising.
"Aren't you?" Jamie asked right back, crossing his arms. Nathan laughed, shaking his head as Jamie scurried over and climbed onto the couch. "Watcha' watching?"
"These are game tapes, buddy," Nate replied, looking down at his son. "Something felt...weird in Friday's game and I'm just trying to figure out what it was." Even out loud it sounded strange and yet Nathan still sat on his couch, pulling apart his team's tactics, movements, and plays.
"But you won!" Jamie exclaimed, smiling and then looking at the screen.
"Yeah, I know," Nate replied, unable to come back with anything else. "You should be asleep."
"So should you," Jamie snarked back, the face Nate could never get angry at beaming up at him. Instead he laughed before picking up the remote and turning off the television, the game tape still playing.
"Then let's go to sleep," Nate said, standing up, looking down at his son.
"But your game is off!"
Nate laughed again and shook his head once again, thinking back to Jamie's ploys when trying to go to bed from a drink of water to going to the bathroom. He even faux-flushed the toilet. It was cute when it wasn't slightly annoying.
"But we won," Nate shot back.
"Yeah, and I got to be there!" Jamie cried as Nate scooped him up, the two of them laughing.
"That's right," Nathan replied, yawning. "And now, you're going to be in bed. And so am I." Taking one last look back down at the television, Nathan stepped out from behind the couch and set Jamie down. "Now go on upstairs."
"Can I get a drink first, daddy?" he asked, angelic in his ways.
"Quickly," Nate replied, smiling but stern.
Something had gone wrong the week before. The Chiefs had won, with Nate point guard of course but something -- hadn't gone right. Something had been screwed up. Despite the fact that Nate had passed the ball and Jermaine had made that last basket something felt -- off. His team's movements weren't fluid enough or -- something. Without being able to put his finger on it, Nathan found himself awake on weeknights even, in the living room with the latest game tape in and if not his latest game tape, the opposing team's.
Leaning forward, his rubbed his face, a yawn escaping as he turned the volume down a bit, trying not to wake Jamie or Haley.
"Daddy?" he heard from behind him. Too late.
"Jimmy-Jam," he said, turning around. "You're still up?" he asked, his eyebrow raising.
"Aren't you?" Jamie asked right back, crossing his arms. Nathan laughed, shaking his head as Jamie scurried over and climbed onto the couch. "Watcha' watching?"
"These are game tapes, buddy," Nate replied, looking down at his son. "Something felt...weird in Friday's game and I'm just trying to figure out what it was." Even out loud it sounded strange and yet Nathan still sat on his couch, pulling apart his team's tactics, movements, and plays.
"But you won!" Jamie exclaimed, smiling and then looking at the screen.
"Yeah, I know," Nate replied, unable to come back with anything else. "You should be asleep."
"So should you," Jamie snarked back, the face Nate could never get angry at beaming up at him. Instead he laughed before picking up the remote and turning off the television, the game tape still playing.
"Then let's go to sleep," Nate said, standing up, looking down at his son.
"But your game is off!"
Nate laughed again and shook his head once again, thinking back to Jamie's ploys when trying to go to bed from a drink of water to going to the bathroom. He even faux-flushed the toilet. It was cute when it wasn't slightly annoying.
"But we won," Nate shot back.
"Yeah, and I got to be there!" Jamie cried as Nate scooped him up, the two of them laughing.
"That's right," Nathan replied, yawning. "And now, you're going to be in bed. And so am I." Taking one last look back down at the television, Nathan stepped out from behind the couch and set Jamie down. "Now go on upstairs."
"Can I get a drink first, daddy?" he asked, angelic in his ways.
"Quickly," Nate replied, smiling but stern.