#and ofc matt's part in this is more interesting to analyze than the rest of the cast given that the change they could make

[astralleywright]

obviously it is not truly up to matt whether and when the hells have deeper conversations and check ins, but i can't imagine that repeatedly getting interrupted by a new threat when they actually try to have these conversations helps

[snarkwrites]

FFT: someday my prince will come; landry clarke

Notes:

Did I mention that I... have a thing for a good half of the Friday Night Lights tv series cast? Because oops, rip me, I dooooo. TBH.. I lowkey want to write something for Landry and Arabella at some point, but I also love him with Tyra? Idk. I’m conflicted. We’ll see.

Summary:

If Arabella keeps waiting, she might just miss out. If Landry were any more oblivious, he’d be blind. But then, thanks to friends cluing the two in, something truly amazing happens.

Pairing:

Landry Clarke x OFC, Arabella

Warnings:

uhhh... sexy first kiss in the rain and that’s it.

The football field loomed ahead, the sky overhead a blend of oranges and pinks and reds. Practice was running late because the Panthers were heading to state. Arabella gazed down at her wrist watch and re - crossed her legs when Tyra Collette wandered over and sat down beside her.

“You’re watchin.”

“I’m kinda… I don’t know. Nothing better to do I guess?” Arabella tried to cover exactly why she found herself at the football field but Tyra eyed her and shook her head, giving her a soft laugh. “Or, Arabella, you like somebody a little bit.”

Arabella’s mouth opened and closed and finally, she sighed. “Doesn’t matter anyway, he’s still hung up on you.”

The statement had Tyra conflicted but deep down, she felt this… Urge. To give the brunette sitting beside her that nudge and confidence boost necessary to maybe make her feelings known.

Maybe that’s why she opened her mouth.

“Am I with him though?”

“No, but if he only wants to date you, there’s really nothin’ I can do but respect it. No sense in trying to force things, my momma did, Mindy can probably tell her everything about how that worked out. Pretty sure she’s heard the whole story while they were getting ready to go out and dance.”

“ I think you’re wrong. See, I asked Landry to meet up. He blew me off. Said he was tutoring you. And honestly? He’s been blowing me off a lot lately.”

Arabella tensed. Was Tyra pissed at her? Or blaming her? She started to apologize but Tyra shook her head, silencing her. “All I want from you is a promise.. That you’ll see what a good guy he is and value that. Because it’s what he deserves and what I’m too damn scared to give him.”

When she said it, she stood and walked away, leaving Arabella to sit and collect herself. She blew out a ragged breath and turned her gaze towards the field. Landry was running out onto it, getting into position to kick the ball.

Arabella jumped up as the ball soared through the goal posts. She didn’t even realize she’d jumped up until Julie Taylor glanced at her and sort of gave a smile and wave before eventually making her way over and sitting down.

“I heard what Tyra said a few minutes ago. And I think you should go for it. I mean… From what I know of Landry, he’s a really good guy. And Tyra she.. I mean she’s my friend but I know she only really sees him as a safety net. There’s a dance coming up. You could ask him to go. Matt may have mentioned that maybe if you were to hint around and act interested, maybe he’d even ask you.. Just a thought.”

Arabella stared at the younger girl and mulled it over, casting a backwards glance towards the field, more particularly, towards Landry. She dragged her hand through her hair, giving it a tussle, flipping it to the side to attempt getting it out of her eyes.

“Ten minutes!” Coach Taylor called out, signalling that practice was almost over. Matt wandered over to Landry and flopped down, nodding up towards the bleachers. “Somebody showed up. She never watches. Still gonna stick by your whole she’s not into me theory now, Landry?”

Landry’s brow furrowed, and he followed his gaze towards the bleachers, just in time to see her standing, fidgeting a little. When her eyes met his, she gave him a wave and cupped her hands around her mouth to shout “Hi!” at him before sitting back down next to Julie and Mrs. Taylor, getting back to the conversation she apparently had going with Julie.

Tyra’s throat clearing from the fence had him looking her way and he walked over, casting a wary glance at her. “What’s up?”

“ She really, really likes you. Just thought you oughta know. Do somethin, Landry. Remember that whole speech you gave me about the Giving Tree? Someone finally sees exactly what you want seen. Open your eyes, or somebody else will. There’s a guy in my second period class whose really into her.”

Before Landry could actually get anything out, Tyra was walking away, her hands shoved in her pockets.

Landry wandered back over, sitting down on the bench next to Matt. “Just because she came to watch doesn’t mean…”

“She’s said a thousand times that she’s not into the whole ego thing that most of the guys on the team have goin on. Wake up, man, damn! If you don’t, Riggins is gonna make a move. Do you really want that? Because I don’t think you do. Then there’s that guy whose into rodeoing, remember, you were about to lose it because he was hitting on her?”

Landry rubbed the back of his head, glancing up towards the bleachers again, staring at her intently. “Okay, what the hell.”

“Finally.”

Matt chuckled as he said it, but honestly, if Landry made a move, it’d be sparing endless hours of internalization on the poor guy’s part. Analyzing and over analyzing every single thing she said or did, and then talking himself out of what was actually a pretty well known fact amongst the rest of the team, hence the reason none of the other guys who did like her a little really went out of their way to make a move… Because they all felt like sooner or later, she’d officially be as spoken for as she was unofficially.

The two of them were almost always found together. They had inside jokes. She’d even dragged him out to a rodeo a few towns over to watch her oldest brother Tommy ride bulls.

Practice ended and Landry took a deep breath, walking up to the fence, hopping over it and climbing the bleachers. Arabella looked up, bit her lip.

“I thought we could get food before you go attempt to teach me to math….” she gave this cute little hopeful smile, he realized then that she tended to do it often whenever she just randomly showed up and asked if he wanted to hang out.

“We can, I mean if you want..”

“Awesome! Let’s get to my car then, I’m starving.” the dramatic tone in her voice had him snickering.

She went to gather the knapsack she’d had with her, but Landry reached for it. “I got ‘em.”

“You’ve got your arms full with the pads and shit though?”

“I got it.” Landry insisted.

Julie looked from one to the other, leaning in to whisper into Arabella’s ear, “Just do something. Otherwise, he’s not gonna pick up.” before walking away to catch up to Matt.

Arabella stared up at Landry a second or two before finally letting him get her books, grabbing for his helmet and holding out the powerade she’d stopped at a vending machine and gotten him.

“I… thought you’d be thirsty or something. I kinda drank a little though.” she gave that soft laugh and Landry took it, uncapping the bottle and drinking half, shrugging and smiling. “Thanks.”

It surprised him when she did it, but when she laced her fingers through his and gave a small squeeze, he did the same, holding onto her hand.

“I give warning.. My mom’s been on a bit of an 8 seconds soundtrack kick so guess whose got the stupid cd stuck in the cd player now?” Arabella shook her head and Landry laughed. “It’s fine. I guess I can deal with country music tonight.”

“Try bein me, pal. Move to Texas and think you’re gonna pick up a decent alt rock station..”

“To be fair, you said yourself they didn’t have any in Louisiana either.” Landry pointed out as he took her key and unlocked the trunk of her mom’s Mustang to throw his gear into it. Arabella was standing right behind him when he turned around and for a split second, the two were kind of pressed together. He stared down at her and she stared up at him.

Tim’s truck revved nearby and Tim stopped, leaning out the window.

“Hey, Arabella? If you wanna hang sometime.”

“ No, Tim. The same as last time. I know I couldn’t keep up with ya, I’m not even gonna make an attempt to try, sir.”

“Aw, c’mon, hon.”

Landry grumbled, looking from Tim to Arabella. Arabella turned her gaze away from Tim, catching him mid stare and staring back herself. She reached up, toying with the collar of his tee shirt a few seconds.

Okay, she wasn’t usually that touchy…

“Somethin wrong, Landry?”

“No, not at all.”

She hadn’t made a move to lower her hand. Landry swallowed hard and cleared his throat, chuckling quietly. “What happened to I’m starving?”

“Oh, I’m still hungry.” Arabella blushed a little, but found herself migrating closer, the advice given to her by both Julie and Tyra playing back in her head, urging her to do… Anything.

“Uh huh.” Landry was moving closer too. He swallowed hard, gazing down at her intently. “Where’d you wanna go and eat?”

“Well, I mean… we could go to the diner..”

“We could… But my mom, she’s got somethin cooked already. And we were already gonna go there… Plus, all the guys are gonna be at the diner.. It’ll take forever to order.”

Arabella bit her lip as she felt his hand brush against her hip. She giggled, because she could tell he’d tried to sneak the touch in and seem smooth about doing it, which was typical of him.

As a sort of answer to the gentle and slight touch, she pressed against him and raised an arm to drag her fingers through his hair. “And your mom does cook way way better than the person they got cookin down at the diner. Just like.. Don’t tell Matty that he’s not cut out for being a burger flipper, okay?”

“It’s our secret.” Landry barely restrained the urge to groan as her pressing even closer had the two of them sort of molded together. “What made you come to watch tonight?”

“Curiousity?” Arabella answered, her eyes lingering on his mouth as she licked her lips. “ Sides, my brothers were being major pains in the ass and my mom had that idiot from the club over, I wanted to get outta there.. Next thing I know, here I am. Go figure?” she shrugged it off.

“Did you like what you saw?” Landry was starting to pick up on the fact that maybe she was flirting with him. And maybe she had been, very subtly, for a while now. And something in him snapped, and he decided to maybe try flirting back with her.

“It was interesting.. Definitely worth further exploration.” Arabella’s hand rested against the front of his tee shirt, lightly gripping at the fabric. Her stomach growled noisily and Landry snickered. She lightly tapped at his arm and he pretended it hurt, pouting.

“Awww, whaddya want me to do now, hmm? Kiss it all better?”

Before he could stop himself, he’d blurted out the question. “Would you?”

“Maybe.”

He sucked in a breath, exhaling sharply when her response was to raise to tiptoe ever so slightly, using the grip she had on his tee shirt to tug him down to her level partially. Her knapsack fell out of his hand, settling on damp pavement with a quiet plop and his hands slid down her sides, squeezing at her hips as he clumsily leaned in even further, their lips brushing.

Her hand left his hair and rested across his neck, greedily pulling him in even closer. When their teeth bumped, they both drew back a little and laughed, but as the laughter died away, they were doing it again, the staring intently at each other’s mouths and moving in closer. This time, Landry scooped her up and sat her on the closed trunk of her mother’s Mustang, moving to stand between her legs. His hand dragged through her hair, tugging as he leaned down, going in for another kiss.

Her lips parted and her tongue slipped between his lips as her legs circled his waist. “Mmm.”

Her eyes fluttered open and shut and as the kiss broke, both were left wiping their mouths, staring all wide eyed at each other.

The growling of their stomachs broke through the blissful post kiss silence and Arabella spoke up. “We should probably get going?”

“Yeah.. The parking lot’s almost empty and it looks like it’s gonna start raining.”

Arabella handed him the keys to her mom’s car and slid off the trunk, straightening herself up a little. Landry opened the passenger door and she got in, him going around to get into the driver side.

As the car started, he felt her hand slipping beneath his on the shifter and he glanced over at her, giving a smile.

“So, there’s this dance on Friday..”

“Oh thank God, for a minute there I was worried I was gonna have to just bite the bullet and ask you first.” Arabella answered, giggling as Landry stopped beneath the one red light in town, waiting on it to go green, staring at her.

“You were gonna ask me?”

“Umm, I thought that me always popping up wherever you are would’ve clued you in.. I really like you. A lot. Have for a while now.”

“So, does this mean I can look forward to you maybe watchin me play more often?”

“If you want me to.”

“I definitely want you to.”

“So I will then. Only if you’re gonna kiss me like that more often, because damn..” Arabella fanned herself, giggling when he opened and closed his mouth and turned bright red.

“I think that can be arranged.”