FIC: To Breathe Again - FNL
Title: To Breathe Again
Author: rachel_wilder
Rating: T (aka PG-13)
Written for: fnl_laundrylist Challenge #21, prompt #1
Disclaimer: All characters who appear in these stories belong to their respective
creators, including Imagine Entertainment, NBC Universal Television Studio and Film 44. No money is being made from the use of these characters.
To Breathe Again
Tim grabbed his things as quickly as he could. Coach was standing there in the doorway watching his every move.
"Pack it up, Riggins," the coach hissed, his teeth clenched.
Tim stuffed the last of his things in his duffle, grabbed his boots and headed for the door. He squeezed pass the coach and down the hall. He nodded to Mrs. Taylor, standing in the kitchen door, her face blank, the baby in her arms.
For a minute there it had almost felt like a family.
He walked out to the truck, shocked to find himself here again-no home and nowhere to go. He couldn't go back to Tyra. He wasn't going back to Ferret Guy. There was no way he was calling Billy and admitting that he couldn't take care of himself.
He put the truck into gear and pulled out of the subdivision. What had Lyla said? Was it the apartments over by the technical school or the new ones by the grocery store?
There was only one way to find out.
*~*~*~*
Tim pulled his truck up in front of the apartment building and slid it into park. He sat there for a moment, his hands still on the steering wheel. In so many ways this had always been the sensible thing to do, but much like everything else that happened in Tim Riggins' life, he hadn't really thought this one out completely.
He looked over at Jason's truck. It had only taken three tries to find the right complex. Now he just needed to figure out which apartment it was. He looked up at the steps and the apartments facing out on the balconies. He could count those out. He pushed the truck door open with a loud squeak and eased himself out. It was still dark, but there was one set of lights on.
He walked slowly up the walk, not sure what his plan was. He looked at the mailboxes and there it was-unit 8, Gosseler/Street.
Unit 8. The one with the lights on. Did that make this his lucky day?
Tim walked up and tapped on the door. He waited a moment and then the door opened to reveal Herc.
"You the new paper boy?" Herc asked as he looked Tim up and down. He had left his bag in the truck-he didn't want to look totally desperate.
"Is Jay here?" Tim asked quietly. He had never really talked to Jason's friend, but he was pretty sure where Herc had come down on the whole Lyla mess.
"Afterschool Special-you've got a down on his luck visitor out here," Herc called down the hallway. "We're heading over to Austin-got a big tournament this weekend," Herc explained.
Tim nodded. Of course.
"Timmy?" Jason asked as he wheeled out into the hall. "What are you doing here?"
Tim shrugged. Two years ago, Jason would have been the first person he would have called, but now it seemed like he was busy enough with his own stuff to handle Tim's trouble as well.
"I'll be out in the truck, Street-we need to hit it in about fifteen minutes," Herc said as he grabbed a duffle bag and put it on his lap.
Tim stepped aside to let Herc out the door. "I'm sorry-you're on your way somewhere."
"What's going on, Tim?" Jason asked again.
Tim looked down at his feet, unable to meet Jason's eyes.
"I kinda moved out," Tim said. He looked up slowly at his friend.
"Last night?" Jason asked.
"Uh-a few weeks ago," Tim responded.
Jason rolled up right in front of him. "A few weeks ago? Like right after Mexico? My birthday?"
"Uh, yeah-after your birthday, Six," Tim stammered.
"And you're telling me now?" Jason asked.
Tim shrugged. He didn't have an answer-or at least not one he'd give Jay.
"You think I can't help you out anymore?" Jason asked.
Tim shrugged again.
"Use your words, Tim," Jason snapped. "I was good enough to bail you out in Mexico when you got stuck in jail."
"I didn't want to…" Tim began.
"Didn't want to what?" Jason asked.
"Drag you back?" Tim replied, his voice unsure. "I mean, we did all that stuff in Mexico, we were buddies again, I was helping you, I was the one who could make things better…"
"Are we friends or not, Tim?" Jason asked.
"Friends," Tim replied.
"So, can I give you some advice?" Jason asked.
"Yeah, sure," Tim replied.
"Tell your friend what the hell is going on," Jason said. "Did Lyla know about this?"
Tim shook his head. "No…just Tyra and Coach."
"Is that where you've been?" Jason asked.
Tim nodded, hoping he wouldn't ask why he wasn't still one of those places.
A horn honked from the parking lot. Jason sighed.
"Okay, I have got to get out there and go to Austin with Herc, but I'm going to be back Sunday night. There's food in the fridge and an extra key hanging on the hook by the fridge. We'll talk when I get back and figure out what's going on. Okay?" Jason asked.
It wasn't company, but maybe that was for the best right now. "Okay," Tim replied.
Jason grabbed his bag and headed toward the door. Before he left, he stopped and turned back. "And don't get your boots up on the couch. Herc is absolutely a stickler about that."
"Okay, Six," Tim replied. Suddenly he felt like he could breathe again.
/fin/
Author's Note: As always, my deep thanks to shelbecat for her beta, even if she silently squeed about Herc. Although they were written independently, you should also check out her fic Equal and Opposite because they're basically written in the same universe. Enjoy!
Author: rachel_wilder
Rating: T (aka PG-13)
Written for: fnl_laundrylist Challenge #21, prompt #1
Disclaimer: All characters who appear in these stories belong to their respective
creators, including Imagine Entertainment, NBC Universal Television Studio and Film 44. No money is being made from the use of these characters.
To Breathe Again
Tim grabbed his things as quickly as he could. Coach was standing there in the doorway watching his every move.
"Pack it up, Riggins," the coach hissed, his teeth clenched.
Tim stuffed the last of his things in his duffle, grabbed his boots and headed for the door. He squeezed pass the coach and down the hall. He nodded to Mrs. Taylor, standing in the kitchen door, her face blank, the baby in her arms.
For a minute there it had almost felt like a family.
He walked out to the truck, shocked to find himself here again-no home and nowhere to go. He couldn't go back to Tyra. He wasn't going back to Ferret Guy. There was no way he was calling Billy and admitting that he couldn't take care of himself.
He put the truck into gear and pulled out of the subdivision. What had Lyla said? Was it the apartments over by the technical school or the new ones by the grocery store?
There was only one way to find out.
*~*~*~*
Tim pulled his truck up in front of the apartment building and slid it into park. He sat there for a moment, his hands still on the steering wheel. In so many ways this had always been the sensible thing to do, but much like everything else that happened in Tim Riggins' life, he hadn't really thought this one out completely.
He looked over at Jason's truck. It had only taken three tries to find the right complex. Now he just needed to figure out which apartment it was. He looked up at the steps and the apartments facing out on the balconies. He could count those out. He pushed the truck door open with a loud squeak and eased himself out. It was still dark, but there was one set of lights on.
He walked slowly up the walk, not sure what his plan was. He looked at the mailboxes and there it was-unit 8, Gosseler/Street.
Unit 8. The one with the lights on. Did that make this his lucky day?
Tim walked up and tapped on the door. He waited a moment and then the door opened to reveal Herc.
"You the new paper boy?" Herc asked as he looked Tim up and down. He had left his bag in the truck-he didn't want to look totally desperate.
"Is Jay here?" Tim asked quietly. He had never really talked to Jason's friend, but he was pretty sure where Herc had come down on the whole Lyla mess.
"Afterschool Special-you've got a down on his luck visitor out here," Herc called down the hallway. "We're heading over to Austin-got a big tournament this weekend," Herc explained.
Tim nodded. Of course.
"Timmy?" Jason asked as he wheeled out into the hall. "What are you doing here?"
Tim shrugged. Two years ago, Jason would have been the first person he would have called, but now it seemed like he was busy enough with his own stuff to handle Tim's trouble as well.
"I'll be out in the truck, Street-we need to hit it in about fifteen minutes," Herc said as he grabbed a duffle bag and put it on his lap.
Tim stepped aside to let Herc out the door. "I'm sorry-you're on your way somewhere."
"What's going on, Tim?" Jason asked again.
Tim looked down at his feet, unable to meet Jason's eyes.
"I kinda moved out," Tim said. He looked up slowly at his friend.
"Last night?" Jason asked.
"Uh-a few weeks ago," Tim responded.
Jason rolled up right in front of him. "A few weeks ago? Like right after Mexico? My birthday?"
"Uh, yeah-after your birthday, Six," Tim stammered.
"And you're telling me now?" Jason asked.
Tim shrugged. He didn't have an answer-or at least not one he'd give Jay.
"You think I can't help you out anymore?" Jason asked.
Tim shrugged again.
"Use your words, Tim," Jason snapped. "I was good enough to bail you out in Mexico when you got stuck in jail."
"I didn't want to…" Tim began.
"Didn't want to what?" Jason asked.
"Drag you back?" Tim replied, his voice unsure. "I mean, we did all that stuff in Mexico, we were buddies again, I was helping you, I was the one who could make things better…"
"Are we friends or not, Tim?" Jason asked.
"Friends," Tim replied.
"So, can I give you some advice?" Jason asked.
"Yeah, sure," Tim replied.
"Tell your friend what the hell is going on," Jason said. "Did Lyla know about this?"
Tim shook his head. "No…just Tyra and Coach."
"Is that where you've been?" Jason asked.
Tim nodded, hoping he wouldn't ask why he wasn't still one of those places.
A horn honked from the parking lot. Jason sighed.
"Okay, I have got to get out there and go to Austin with Herc, but I'm going to be back Sunday night. There's food in the fridge and an extra key hanging on the hook by the fridge. We'll talk when I get back and figure out what's going on. Okay?" Jason asked.
It wasn't company, but maybe that was for the best right now. "Okay," Tim replied.
Jason grabbed his bag and headed toward the door. Before he left, he stopped and turned back. "And don't get your boots up on the couch. Herc is absolutely a stickler about that."
"Okay, Six," Tim replied. Suddenly he felt like he could breathe again.
/fin/
Author's Note: As always, my deep thanks to shelbecat for her beta, even if she silently squeed about Herc. Although they were written independently, you should also check out her fic Equal and Opposite because they're basically written in the same universe. Enjoy!