Try a Little Tenderness-Ch 8
Summary: A scene at the Riggins/Collette/Sproles household. Spoilers: through season 5. Note: These characters are not mine.
“Hey Tyra...,” Becky said in a forced polite tone. “Nice to finally meet you. Your sister has been so sweet to me. Ran my dad’s ass out of town, and my wicked stepmother. Sorry to interrupt you two. Mindy wanted me to tell you dinner’s ready in 20 minutes.”
“Wow, what time is it?,” Tyra said. “Time sure flies, doesn’t it…” She looked at Tim and bit her lip, pushed her hair off her face.
Tim had gotten up and offered Tyra his hand. “C’mon. Let’s go inside.”
Tyra went to wash up before dinner. Tim and Becky were setting the table, and Becky kept apologizing nervously as they navigated around one another.
“What’s up, Becks?,” Tim asked. He already knew, of course.
“I just didn’t realize you and Tyra…” she trailed off.
“There’s nothin’ between me and Tyra,” Tim said. He realized that Becky really might not know anything about their relationship freshman year.
“Really? I find that hard to believe, seeing you two together…” Becky muttered.
“Well, we did date a few years ago, our freshman year at Dillon,” Tim said. “But we were too much alike then, fighting all the time. I’d hurt her, and she’d hurt me, then we’d make up. It’s just what we did. And then I got together with Lyla…”
“The love of your life…” Becky interjected, as Tim raised an eyebrow at her.
“… and she hooked up with… with…” Tim continued, shaking his head and smiling.
“Who? Who’d she hook up with?” Becky prodded him.
“Sounds funny in retrospect, but… Landry. Yeah, they were hot and heavy for awhile. She even managed to drag old boy scout Lance into trouble.”
It dawned on Tim how unfair the world could be. Landry getting away with manslaughter, while Tim served time for a relatively minor crime. Such was his world.
“Oh, now I remember hearing about that,” Becky said. “I don’t remember the Collettes’ involvement… That seems really unlikely, though, Tyra getting with Landry. I mean, she’s such a fox. Although, there is something about Landry that is really sweet.”
“What’s this about Landry?,” Tyra said, walking up behind them.
“I was just explaining about our history together,” Tim said.
“I hope you included ‘complicated,’” Tyra said, kissing Tim on the mouth. He kissed her back before pulling away and clearing his throat.
“Yeah, this is just, old friends showing their friendship,” Tim muttered.
Tyra stared at him for a moment. “Are you two…?,” she said, pointing between Becky andTim.
Tim knew she’d figure it out somehow. She had this way of burrowing into his brain, no matter what. Sometimes that was handy, most times not.
“We’re friends. Good friends,” he said. “Right Becks?”
She nodded meekly and walked quickly toward the kitchen. “Gotta help Mindy,” she said.
“You’re sleeping with her, aren’t you Tim?” Tyra said. “It’s so obvious.”
“Well, it’s more like friends with benefits. It’s hard to explain,” he said.
“It’s always hard to explain with you,” Tyra said. “You and I were simple, in truth. Tim and Tyra. But then you, with Lyla, Jason, all that drama…”
Tim smirked. “Yeah, well it’s not like I planned it that way. It just happened. You think I wanted to hurt Jay? And anyway, as I recall, you and Street got pretty close for a while there.”
Tyra tilted her head, remembering her heart-to-hearts with Jason. “True. But you two forced us together, more or less. But I guess I should thank you, because Jason is one of the best people I’ve ever known.” At that, Tim nodded. “Six,” he said softly.
Mindy came out carrying Stevie, who she put in his high chair. Billy carried a casserole, and Becky the salad and rolls.
Billy stood awkwardly, rubbing his hands together and beaming.
“Well look at this here little family we got going,” he said. “I’d like to give thanks, us all being here together for once. Tyra finally getting her ass down to Dillon to see her nephew.” He raised his wine glass, clicking everyone’s glass.
Tim cleared his throat. “To friends!” he said. “All kinds of friends.” He shot looks at both Becky and Tyra. “Now let’s dig in.”
“Hey Tyra...,” Becky said in a forced polite tone. “Nice to finally meet you. Your sister has been so sweet to me. Ran my dad’s ass out of town, and my wicked stepmother. Sorry to interrupt you two. Mindy wanted me to tell you dinner’s ready in 20 minutes.”
“Wow, what time is it?,” Tyra said. “Time sure flies, doesn’t it…” She looked at Tim and bit her lip, pushed her hair off her face.
Tim had gotten up and offered Tyra his hand. “C’mon. Let’s go inside.”
Tyra went to wash up before dinner. Tim and Becky were setting the table, and Becky kept apologizing nervously as they navigated around one another.
“What’s up, Becks?,” Tim asked. He already knew, of course.
“I just didn’t realize you and Tyra…” she trailed off.
“There’s nothin’ between me and Tyra,” Tim said. He realized that Becky really might not know anything about their relationship freshman year.
“Really? I find that hard to believe, seeing you two together…” Becky muttered.
“Well, we did date a few years ago, our freshman year at Dillon,” Tim said. “But we were too much alike then, fighting all the time. I’d hurt her, and she’d hurt me, then we’d make up. It’s just what we did. And then I got together with Lyla…”
“The love of your life…” Becky interjected, as Tim raised an eyebrow at her.
“… and she hooked up with… with…” Tim continued, shaking his head and smiling.
“Who? Who’d she hook up with?” Becky prodded him.
“Sounds funny in retrospect, but… Landry. Yeah, they were hot and heavy for awhile. She even managed to drag old boy scout Lance into trouble.”
It dawned on Tim how unfair the world could be. Landry getting away with manslaughter, while Tim served time for a relatively minor crime. Such was his world.
“Oh, now I remember hearing about that,” Becky said. “I don’t remember the Collettes’ involvement… That seems really unlikely, though, Tyra getting with Landry. I mean, she’s such a fox. Although, there is something about Landry that is really sweet.”
“What’s this about Landry?,” Tyra said, walking up behind them.
“I was just explaining about our history together,” Tim said.
“I hope you included ‘complicated,’” Tyra said, kissing Tim on the mouth. He kissed her back before pulling away and clearing his throat.
“Yeah, this is just, old friends showing their friendship,” Tim muttered.
Tyra stared at him for a moment. “Are you two…?,” she said, pointing between Becky andTim.
Tim knew she’d figure it out somehow. She had this way of burrowing into his brain, no matter what. Sometimes that was handy, most times not.
“We’re friends. Good friends,” he said. “Right Becks?”
She nodded meekly and walked quickly toward the kitchen. “Gotta help Mindy,” she said.
“You’re sleeping with her, aren’t you Tim?” Tyra said. “It’s so obvious.”
“Well, it’s more like friends with benefits. It’s hard to explain,” he said.
“It’s always hard to explain with you,” Tyra said. “You and I were simple, in truth. Tim and Tyra. But then you, with Lyla, Jason, all that drama…”
Tim smirked. “Yeah, well it’s not like I planned it that way. It just happened. You think I wanted to hurt Jay? And anyway, as I recall, you and Street got pretty close for a while there.”
Tyra tilted her head, remembering her heart-to-hearts with Jason. “True. But you two forced us together, more or less. But I guess I should thank you, because Jason is one of the best people I’ve ever known.” At that, Tim nodded. “Six,” he said softly.
Mindy came out carrying Stevie, who she put in his high chair. Billy carried a casserole, and Becky the salad and rolls.
Billy stood awkwardly, rubbing his hands together and beaming.
“Well look at this here little family we got going,” he said. “I’d like to give thanks, us all being here together for once. Tyra finally getting her ass down to Dillon to see her nephew.” He raised his wine glass, clicking everyone’s glass.
Tim cleared his throat. “To friends!” he said. “All kinds of friends.” He shot looks at both Becky and Tyra. “Now let’s dig in.”