milliways_bar | (no subject)

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Bill is downstairs after some breakfast. He sits down at the counter, and before he can even ask, Bar provides him with a loaded plate; eggs, bacon, sausage, hashbrowns, a short stack of pancakes, a cup of coffee and orange juice.

Bill grins at the offering, and is about to say thank you when a newspaper appears. Looking at the front page headline his smile falls.

Mardi Gras in Miami

It's not really the headline, but the part underneath that tells how the Saints defeated the Colts 31-17 in the Superbowl that's just killed his good mood.

Bill lifts the paper and shakes his head.

"Aw, c'mon, no. I didn't even know they were playin'."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Silly me -- I thought raw talent was the key."

Smirking, she sends a tight, fast spiral his way.

"Yep, silly you."

While he's teasing he miscalculates his catch. The ball skims his palms and shoots through his arms, hitting the sand behind him.

Looking behind him, then at her, he smirks.

"Wow, Kate, put some zip on that one, didn't'cha?"

She bites her lower lip to tamp down her grin.

"I'm full of surprises."

He gives her a mock suspicious look, then retrieves the football.

"Alright, so we got a tie now."

Sending a straight spiral her way, he's more focused this time on catching her return.

The leather stings her palms with every catch; after an impressive volley, Kate dives for a particularly tight pass, but it slips through her hands and she hits the sand with a soft oof.

She offers Bill a wry smile as she dusts off her hands and thighs.

"No taking it easy on me," she tells him, recovering the ball. "If you do, I'll know."

When she hits the ground he starts moving towards her.

"Y'all right?"

He realizes he might be taking this a bit far, getting caught up in the game like he did with Doc.

Returning her smile, he knows he needs to tone it down. He doesn't want to hurt her, and his shoulder is going to start complaining if he's not careful.

"Y'never know, could be a strategy I'm workin' out," he points out, hesitating a moment before backing up again.

"I'm fine," she assures him, "it's just my pride that hurts."

Brushing a few stubborn grains of sand from the laces, she takes a couple of steps backward.

"Strategy, huh?"

A grin, and she cocks her arm.

"Strategize this."

The pass goes high and Bill scrambles to get under it. Backpedaling in the sand, he's falling as the ball is coming down.

The ball hits him in the gut, his ass hits the sand, and the football bounces free.

Sitting in the sand staring at the ball just a few feet in front of him, Bill shakes his head.

"I totally had that one."

"God, Bill -- "

She jogs over to offer him both hands. Caught between laughter and concern, her eyes flick to his shoulder, then back to his face.

"You totally didn't."

Bill takes her hands and stands, then shakes his head to dispel any concern.

"I'm alright. That pass was more like a punt, had a lot of air under it."

A beat, then he grins.

"If we were in snow I'd of caught it."

She gives the center of his chest a playful shove.

"Liar. Your pants would be full of snow."

"Now they're full of sand."

He brushes his legs off, considering a moment.

"Snow would've been worse."

Kate rises on her tiptoes, brushing her lips against his earlobe.

"Unless you've got sand in certain places."

She steps back with a grin, a devious angel with shining eyes, her blond hair a glinting halo in the bright sun.

She bends with loose-limbed grace to retrieve the ball.

Offering it to him, "We're two and two now -- no pressure, sheriff."

The tips of his ears redden and he adjusts the waistband on his shorts.

"I don't, but thank you for the concern."

Shaking his head, bemused, he takes the ball.

"S'okay, I'm good at tie-breakers. You sound a little worried, though."

"Oh, I am."

She doesn't even try to swallow a laugh as she steps backward, increasing the distance between them.

"I'm worried for you."

Giving her a 'oh, you're funny' look, Bill tosses the ball as she's still backing up.

It's a good pass, and should end up where she'll be if she keeps stepping back.

"Hey, that's -- "

Still laughing, she misjudges the distance and leaps for the ball; it threads through her fingers and sails to the sand, bouncing a few feet behind her.

She fixes Bill with a pout that's more of a helpless grin and shakes her head.

"Kate, that was a timin' route."

He shakes his head back at her, hands resting on his hips.

"Feel like I outta give you another chance, now."

"No taking it easy on me, remember?"

She's flushed from the heat and exertion; she lifts a bottle of water from the tote and takes a long, slow drink.

"Besides," she adds, capping the bottle, "maybe I was angling for that consolation prize the whole time."

He walks back over to her, pulling out a water for himself.

Lowering the bottle from his lips, he looks down at her and smiles.

"So that was your strategy, huh?"

Smirking, "Guess you'll never know."

"Hm, keepin' secrets?"

He steps closer to her, eyes on hers.

"So, what should your prize be, then?"

Her hands find his hips beneath the hem of his T-shirt, fingers trailing over the warm skin above his waistband.

"That depends -- what'd I earn?"

"Well, y'did pretty good. Tied it, even."

He seems to give it careful consideration, smiling all the while before he bends in.

"I think y'earned this."

Bringing his empty hand up, he cups the side of her neck and presses his lips to hers.

She tilts her head, her pulse quickening under his thumb.

She doesn't remember letting her water bottle fall to the sand just before she slipped her hands beneath his shirt, but as she leans into the kiss, her condensation-slick palms press flat against his stomach.