rookie mistake {dak prescott}

ii || results.

"I worry about him.."

||||

Dak's debut as an NFL quarterback was officially two days away. He didn't show any signs of nerves except for the pacing around the apartment trying to memorize the large Cowboys handbook. His footsteps were constant, going back and forth between the kitchen and the living room with the added noise of flipping pages of the playbook. His eyes scanned left and right, up and down trying to engrave in his mind what every X and O was supposed to be doing on each play.

I stand in the kitchen watching him go back and forth, starting to get dizzy at his consistent motion. "Babe, do you want help?" I ask, he had barely slept since he was named starter. His routine consisted of practice and reading the playbook. He didn't answer me, his laser focus concentrating on the X's and O's of each individual play. "Dak?" I try again. He still doesn't look up from the white pages. I move to stand in front of him. He towers over me as I place my small hands on his bulging biceps.

"Dak?" I say with concern in my voice.

"What? Sorry, did you say something?" his deep brown eyes finally look up to me. I crinkle my eyebrows at him and tilt my head slightly. His eyes look so tired and weak. I slowly remove the playbook from his hands and place it on the kitchen counter. He looks at me with confusion. "Layne, what are you doing?"

"Shhh..." I hush him. I slowly wrap my arms around him in a comforting hug. His body melts into mine. "You've been working so hard lately that I worry about you. You don't sleep, you don't talk, you hardly eat. I want you to be okay," I stroke his short hair.

"I'm okay. I just need to get through this game," He assures me as he kisses my shoulder blade.

"And you will, but Dak baby, you need to take care of yourself. Not just for the team, but for me."

"What can I do to assure you that I am taking care of myself so you stop worrying?" Dak asks. He removes himself from my hug and cups my face in his hands. I sideways smile at him before taking his hands off of my face and leading him into our bedroom. "Oooooh I like where this is going!" he follows obediently.

"No sex," I shake my finger at him. "You need to sleep, and I'm going to lay right beside you so I know that you are actually sleeping," I push him on to the bed.

"If I do what you want now, can I get what I want later?" Dak asks as he pulls me onto the bed next to him. I don't answer as I feel my body melt into his. He nuzzles his chin into the crook of my neck. His breaths are relaxed which finally puts me at his ease.

What seems like minutes later I am woken up to the sound of our sheets moving beneath Dak as he carefully tries to get out of bed without waking me. I turn to face him as a scared look is upon his face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you," he  whispers. I rub the tiredness out of my eyes.

"It's fine. Where are you gong?" I ask in my raspy morning voice reaching for his hand.

"I have to go to a quarterback meeting. I'll come home as soon as I can," he leans over me and kisses the top of my head.

"Hurry home. Don't forget,we have dinner with Beth and Zeke tonight. Just remember the playbook will be waiting for you after dinner so you don't have to spend too long after practice learning it. It's starting to feel like you are cheating on me," I quietly laugh.