Telluride

Talk of the Town

Faith POV
Friday Morning.
Okay so today is the first training with an official team named. I would be excited if it didn't mean that I had to be at the football field by 5:30. In the morning. Disgusting. I decided last night that I would run to school as all the southern food Betty is making will definitely start having an effect on me. I regret this decision as soon as I woke up. It's basically still dark outside and I'm not awake enough to want to run to school. But alas, I've already told Tim that I would so he won't be stopping to pick me up. I decide that today I will wear a nice white blouse from Betty's Private Collection and a pair of bootleg jeans from mine. I throw them in a backpack and grab some running pants and a tank top. It looks cold outside so I throw on Tims hoodie that I still have. As I head down the stairs I spot 2 brown paper bags on the table. There's a note attached them says "here's lunch for you and Tim. Have a good day! Betty xx" she is the sweetest woman. I put the lunch in my backpack and quietly make my way out of the door.
Tim POV
I'm setting up the drill that we will be running in the field when I see Faith jog down the hill. Once she gets to the bleachers she takes her backpack off and then my hoodie to reveal a tank top that hugs her figure just right. What a vision. I walk over to her and she is glistening from the run she's just been on. Her clothes hug her body tightly and I'm going to have to use all my self control to not look at her every 5 seconds.
"Hey, how are you?" She asks out of breath.
"Good. I love an early morning training." I say jokingly because this is honestly not my ideal start to a day.
"Oh me too." She says matching my sarcasm.
"Joey is coming this morning, can you check out his wrist and then one of the other boys needs you to check his back, Brodie." I tell her.
"Oh okay cool. Do you need any help with the cones or anything?" She asks. I give her a stack of cones to set up parallel to mine. As we finish Tony, Davis and Mike show up with the team.
I do the annual welcome speech and tell them what the expectations are for the season.
"Okay so Brodie and Joey, go see Miss Perry and the rest of you warm up please." I tell them sending our injured towards Faith.  I see the two of them walk over and Brodie leans in to say something to Joey. They continue to chat as they walk towards her I turn my attention to the boys warming up when I hear a commotion behind me. I turn around to see Brodie on the floor and with Joey standing over him and Faith running over. I run towards them too.
"What the hell Joey! What was that for?" Brodie says holding his nose. I realise that Joey must've hit him.
"Come with me Brodie, we will sort that out for you." Faith says leading him away.
"Why'd you hit him?" I ask Joey once they're gone.
"It doesn't matter, sir." He says.
"Yes it does. Tell me." I know it had to have been something because this is out of character for Joey.
"He was saying some things I didn't really like." He tells me.
"Okay, what was it? If it is something that I need to discuss with him you need to tell me." I say because I take the attitude of my players very seriously.
"He was just disrespecting someone on our team and I didn't like it." Joey says being vague.
"Okay Joey, can you please tell me what he said?"

Faith POV
I'm busy cleaning the cut on Brodie's lip when Tim walks in to the room. We are inside the football office. "Hey Faith, can you just step out for a second so that I can talk to Brodie." He says. I nod my head and stand by the door. I can still hear them but I'm sure that it was more just wanting the conversation to be one on one that Tim asked me to leave.
"Brodie, I swear to God almighty if I ever hear you disrespecting a member of this team, of this facility ever again I will beat your ass. Do you understand me!" Tim basically yells at him. I feel bad for Brodie, he's basically just a kid. I don't think I've ever heard Tim mad. "Sir it's not my fault she" Brodie begins.
"Son if you are trying to excuse your actions then you better stop right now." Tim says. "You're off the team until next month. You come to every training but you will not play. You will be courteous to Miss Perry but if I see you looking at her in anyway I will not hesitate to drop your sorry ass." Tims mention of my name causes me to become all to aware of what must've happened. Suddenly Brodie come out the door and ducks his head as he passes me. I decide to step inside. "Tim?" I ask when I go inside.
"It's fine Faith. Come in." I see him sitting on the desk.
"Are you alright?" I ask not entirely sure why. I mean he's the one that just threatened an 18 year old boy but I still have this desire to check on him.
"Oh yeah, I am. Are you? I think I must've temporarily forgotten how thin these walls are. Sorry about that." He says.
"Um... Yeah. About that. Are we sure that me being team medic is the best idea?" I ask because I'm now incredibly aware of the consequences of my presence.
"Faith this is not your fault." He says stepping forward, closer to me until we are about a foot apart. This is the closes we have been since the night on his couch. "You are a great team medic. We need you. Plus I would miss you on the bleachers with me." He says taking one of my hands. I know it's only been a few days since he and Christine broke up but I really like him. I notice him looking down at my lips then at my eyes then at my lips again. I decide now is as good as a moment as any. I lean forward to make my move when suddenly someone bursts into the room.
"Hey coach, uh um sorry," says the boy who just burst in seeing the two of us together. "I will come back later." Awesome. Moment ruined for no reason. I release my hand from Tims. "I'm going to get changed into work clothes, but I will see you soon." I say as I walk out the door leaving him frozen. I go to the girls changing rooms and pull my jeans and blouse on, it's still early and a bit cold out so I throw Tims hoodie back on. God I love the smell of him. I make my way back to the bleachers and watch as Tim takes charge for the rest of the training. He is in his element. He helps each of the boys get their stances and yells at them with encouragement and help. It's a very attractive sight. Half way through Joey comes up to me and before he can say anything I say to him "thank you Joey. Don't tell anyone but I'm glad you punched him. Thanks for defending my honour." I tell him.
"It's okay Miss Perry. You're apart of this team. We protect each other." He says.
"Come sit down so I can check your wrist."

At the end of training I wait for Tim so that I can give him his lunch. We walk up to the offices together.
"I just wanted to apologise for the club room." He says obviously meaning our moment. "That was unprofessional and I was out of line." Argh of course he would do the proper thing. How do I tell him that I want him to be unprofessional and that I want him to cross every single line there is? This man, honestly.
"It's fine Tim. It takes two to tango." I say half laughing making a joke out of the situation to stop my self from screaming.
"Well at least that's sorted. Also our first game is next week Friday,  it's an away game. Couple hours drive. I'm taking my truck and everyone else will go in the bus. Do you want to ride with me?" He asks, kinda shyly. It's cute very cute.
"I'd love to," I say to him hoping to hint that I'm ready to be unprofessional but I don't think he realises.
I get through my day smoothly and by lunch I'm starving and ready for the not-yet-grilled sandwich Betty has packed me. I go to the staff room and sport Karla and Russel in the corner I wave at them indicating that I'll be joining them shortly. Once my sandwich is toasted I sit down with them.
"Okay. Faith it's time to spill the goss." Russel says to me causing me laugh. He does not seem like sort of man who would know what  'goss' is.
"Don't mind him, he just loves a good gossip," Karla tells me, "however since we are your best friends here you are obligated to tell us." She tells me jokingly.
"Um what goss?" I ask since I have no idea what they're talking about.
"You and Tim!" Russel says a little loudly. Karla hits his chest and tells him to shush. Oh god here we go.