Boston Glory

[moffnat]

In the competitive world of football,
all it takes is one.

​

Brisk autumn winds still clinging to drops of summer's warmth enveloped Boston in a bittersweet embrace. Cars covered in the gentle kisses of frost zoomed past on their way to various destinations throughout the city, though the hurried man paid them no mind. Daniel clutched his coat tighter about his person as he walked, folding his arms across his chest in attempt of keeping as much bodily warmth as close as possible while clutching a plastic sack tightly in his hand. October had been unforgiving and in the close span of a week, summer had slipped into fall which brought out warmer clothes and more little necessities for comfort outdoors. Jack-o-lanterns decorated the doorways of the apartments he passed and false spider webs clung to windows of nearby shops, adding a spooky coating to the suburbs of downtown. Halloween was just around the corner and local businesses were stopping at nothing to bring in as many customers as possible in preparation for the upcoming holiday season. Off towards the distance near a litter of docks spreading out into the ocean, Daniel could swear he saw the flicker of Christmas lights twinkling in the windows of someone's apartment.

Is it that time of year already?

Daniel bred a smile and felt the rushes of end-of-the-year preparations course in his veins. Some thought that the holiday seasons were stressful and unnecessary, but Daniel Morgan was one who cherished the messages of family and togetherness that spread through the course of the next two months. He was especially looking forward to his sister's reaction to a pair of presents in his jacket pocket, and the thought of her excited squeals and glee only spurred him further towards The Thinking Cup where she was employed. Rounding the corner of Tremont Street, Daniel pulled open the door and was grateful to meet a rush of heat as he stepped over the threshold and closed the glass behind him. The tinkling of bells above him announced his entrance.

"Becca?" he called, giddy as a schoolgirl. When he didn't see her immediately, he checked his watch and read that her shift ended in five minutes. Damn. I was so close. He put the plastic bag he was holding on the table beside him and cleared his throat, knowing he might get kicked out of the cafe for this, but it didn't matter to him. Not today.

Drawing in a deep breath, he began to sing very loudly.

"Happy birthday to yoooou!" he exclaimed to the broken tune of the song. "Happy birthday to yoooou! Happy birthday dear Beccaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Happy birthday to yoooou!"​

 

[Powerless_]

The day barreled forward, a slow procession of people walking in and out of the coffee shoppe, the soles of her feet beginning to ache as she reached the end of her shift. The Thinking Cup wouldn't have been her first choice in work but it was all she could get at the moment. She was perfectly fine with this, knowing she had some sort of income to fall back on if her journalism endeavors never took off in a positive direction. By this point she had come to the conclusion that time hated her and wanted nothing more then to see her suffer an inevitable death. People rushing in and out to grab the 'Best Coffee In The World' It seemed as fall approached more and more people had a reason to stop in and let the fresh smell of coffee beans and hot pastries tantalize their senses. Just basking there in the glorious warmth that the store gave off every hour of the day, before stepping out into the brisk wind without even offering a damn cent forward. It had gotten annoying after sometime, the incessant chatter of the people around her as they bombarded her with greetings, questions and even attempts at friendly conversation.

"No. I am most certainly sure that you ordered decaffeinated!" Another unsatisfied customer.Though she had heard him loud and clear as the blue skies above, he seemed to have thought otherwise. The bumbling old man, looked no younger then sixty years old, wrinkles covering every inch of him and barely a hair left on his head. He sent her a toothless grin, chuckling at her worrisome voice before waving her away. Brows knitting in confusion, she crossed her arms over her chest and looked down at the male with ferocity and strong disapproval hidden in her eyes. Well this is one way to spend her birthday, stuck at a stupid job with people's shitty ideas of a good joke.

She had five measly minutes before she could get out of here, and head on back home. Though as her name bellowed through the cafe, a small smile reached her lips. Just as she was about to turn around and greet him, her eyes widened in disbelief. His voice met her ears, causing her to suck in a breath, attempting to bite down her laughter. Mentally cursing herself, she raised a fine brow before turning on her heel and walking towards the voice. "Do you want to be kicked out of another one of my jobs!" She chuckled, looking up at him with bright eyes, and a gleeful smile. He never failed to make a fool of himself on her birthday, it seemed to be a tradition to him.

 

[moffnat]

"You have so little faith in me!" he exclaimed when his song was done, spreading his hands and laughing at all the heads he had turned with his rather unconventional song. A woman holding a croissant rolled her eyes and turned to the window, while an elderly couple and a college student seemed to be smiling at his humor. At least I'm not lost completely. "I'm terribly offended. Because of that, miss barista, I'll take an extra grande large quadruple shot caramel mocha with ice and smothered to hell and back with whipped cream. Make it quick, girl! We've got plans!"

Daniel moved across the room and picked up the plastic bag he had set upon the table for safekeeping, holding it up in the air for his dear sister to see behind the counter. He shook it proudly. "I've got your birthday present!" he laughed. "You're gonna like it, maybe. Not sure yet. It's not as disastrous as last year's though, so that's a blessing." The previous year for Becca's birthday, Daniel had tried to bake her favorite gourmet cake only to have it be as monstrous as anything he had ever tasted. The entire family had been there to witness his embarrassment. Cooking was definitely not his strong suit, and since then he stayed far away from any kitchen by the commands of his family. He let his girlfriend do that from now on.

But it was the thought that counted, right?

"I wasn't kidding about that mocha though. Just, you know. Make it the right way, not the way I said it." He tossed the bag in the air and caught it gracefully before making his way back to the counter, not without the absence of little dance moves he was known for when it came to passing time. He gave a few spins and hops and skips before leaning casually on the counter as if nothing had happened.

"Hurry up," he chuckled, "before I give in to the anticipation and just tell you what's in the bag!"

 

[Powerless_]

"Despite the fact that you sounded like a dying moose, that was super sweet of you!" Childish glee was written all over her face and neither of them seemed too embarrassed about the fact that this conversation was in the middle of a public place. Shooting a glare at him when he shouted out an order that she couldn't even remember any part of, she grumbled under her breath. "You are joking" Pausing, her eyes met up with his. "Right? Because If not you're going to have to tell me how to make the damn thing, use baby words. I'm not always as smart as I say"

His show of mock offense made her believe it was another way of humoring her, but with Daniel she could never be too sure. As he confirmed her words, she glided over to the coffee maker and got to work at making the Mocha, topping it off with a generous amount of whipped cream and drizzling of caramel, before sliding the cup over to him. Though it didn't slide, it didn't do much of anything. She should have known by now that it wouldn't have went the way she expected. Expectations versus reality had always been a little off. Huffing, she picked it up and handed it over to him. "That will be one ninety five!" She exclaimed, holding out her hand as she waited for him to hand over the small amount of cash.

"Let's get this show on the road Dan, I could have been out of here" She paused for a moment before letting her eyes dart up to the clock. "Two minutes ago!" Still holding the Mocha in one hand, and showing off an outstretched palm as she awaited the payment, she sent him a joking glare.

Much like a toddler in toy store, she awaited for him to stop messing around and hand over her presents. Birthdays were absolutely fantastic, they were that one holiday where nobody expected or wanted a thing in return. Though her appreciation speaks a thousand words most of the time. Why was he so excited to tell her what he got? It must be something entirely amazing, he couldn't even seem to hold in his own glee at this point.

 

[moffnat]

"One-ninety-five?!" he exclaimed. "Shit. If I'd'a known those'd be the prices here, I would've come sooner." Daniel handed his debit card to Rebecca and took the mocha in his hand, holding on to the straw and sipping lightly. "Mmmm. Really hits the spot. Thanks, sis." He reached across the table and snatched her time card from her apron, slipping it into the correct slot, and when he was done Daniel pushed the plastic bag across the counter.

"Part one of your present," he instructed. "Open it."

Daniel sipped at his mocha as he watched her fumble with the plastic. Before he had left his apartment, he took a little stroll over to hers and utilized the honor of a spare key to pile a pair of clothes into a bag. She would need something warm, no doubt. He hoped she liked the things he picked out. Fashion wasn't his strong suit either, and while he always appreciated when a woman looked good he had no affinity for the tastes himself.

I bed she'll wanna look good for this, too. Daniel checked his watch, wondering if they had enough time to stop by her apartment if she wasn't pleased with what he had chosen.

"Eh," he said at last. "We've got time. If you don't like it, we can go get something different before we leave town."

 

[Powerless_]

"You're welcome. Thank Brandi though, she's the one that thought up the idea of employee discounts." She hadn't wanted to make him pay the full price, so she just cashed him in under her name, no big deal. She wasn't a huge fan of the coffee around here anyways, might as well get those credits dropped down by a couple. A light chuckle met the air around them as she stared at the bag with slight confusion. "Part one?" She raised a brow, this should be interesting!

Her hands messed with the plastic, finally tearing open the bow that he had tied to keep the dumb thing shut. She had always hated those, proving to be a bigger hassle then they needed to be most of the time. They didn't make handles so you could tie them together! That wasn't the common use of handles! She got ahead of her thoughts however and simply shook her head, before peering into the bag. Did he raid her closet for this gift? Rolling her eyes, she pulled the pieces of clothing out of the bag. A bright green sweater, dark-wash skinny jeans, a pair of combat boots, and her navy blue scarf and beanie set. "Oooh are these my favorite socks!" And supposedly her favorite socks.

"So let me guess..I have to wear this?" She raised a brow. She was surprised by Daniel's selection of clothes, he had not an even small sense of fashion..yet he coordinated the colors well enough, and the outfit seemed like it would piece together nicely. "So how many parts to this are there?" She questioned, a warm smile placed on her face. She couldn't wait to see what he had in store!

 

[moffnat]

"You do!" he chuckled, "but your jersey's in the car if you want that instead. I made sure to bring that. I'm also borrowing dad's Mercedes so we can ride in style. Better bring a lunch and some money for a greasy dinner, because there won't be time for anything else." He chuckled deviously, giving her a wink. He would drag this out as long as necessary. "Come on."

Daniel picked up his coffee and gestured with a hand for her to follow. It would do no good to embarrass her in front of customers and co-workers alike, and she was no doubt going to scream so loud when she opened the final portion of her present that all of Boston would be able to hear her excitement, but it was too personal for him to risk portraying her a fool before those within the Thinking Cup. He held open the door politely for his ecstatic older sister. Daniel could practically feel the anticipation ebbing from her pores and written as plain as ink on the delicate features of her face. Typically it was the job of the older brother to take care of his little sister like this, to spoil her rotten, and it was Daniel's great joy to have two instead of one. But Jasmine was always busy with some sort of corporate office work, businesswoman that she was, and Rebecca had always been much more fun to torment.

Standing at the street corner, Daniel pulled an envelope from his pocket and said nothing as it passed from his hands to hers.

"Happy birthday, Becca. I hope you like the view from the front row of the end zone."

 

[Powerless_]

Heaving the worn leather bag off of the ground, she let out a huff of disdain, a variety of random things lay to the bottom, books stacked neatly to the side recently having fallen over, and a mess of other things strewn about. Tossing her clothes inside the bag, she seemed to have just added to the clutter. Hoisting the hefty thing over her shoulder, she groaned in disbelief. Why did she do this to herself? Why would anyone do this to themselves? Walking incredibly close behind him, she was practically stepping on his heels at this point. Though upon hearing his silly little speech, she sent him a questionable glance, curiosity and confusion staining her features. "You bought along my jersey, that thing has seen better days..I have a feeling we won't be having a formal evening eh?" Maybe they could stop at the Subway and grab some sandwiches for lunch, since he wasn't able to properly inform her of her location however, it would stand still at a strict maybe.

As sudden as her actions were, she had herself jumping out of her shoes. Like a child on Christmas day, realizing that Santa had actually come the night before. Flushed cheeks met with a jaw splitting smile, she awaited patiently for what was to come. Watching his actions with close precision, her eyes widened slowly as he pulled out the envelope from his pocket and could only get bigger as the words flew past his lips. Her mind felt like it had gone into hyper drive, her heart slamming against her rib cage and the entire time, the grin never left her face. "Oh my goodness! This is not for real! This has to be some kind of joke!" The sincerity in his voice had of course proven otherwise, someone like Daniel could never be so cruel. The pure feeling of elation that surrounded her only seemed to skyrocket, as she grabbed the envelope from his hands and pressed it against her chest, receiving it's own loving embrace. Then it was his turn, he was attacked with a massive bear hug, her attempts to squeeze the organs out of him already coming together quite nicely. "YOU ARE THE BEST BROTHER IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD!" She squealed, burying her face into his shoulder.

Pulling away slowly, the pure admiration that shown in her eyes would not leave for the rest of the night. Like twinkling little stars, she would watch the game with glee written over her face in permanent ink. "This has gotta to be one of the best presents I have ever gotten!" It felt like she could melt right then and there, she had been wanting to sit and watch a game from the endzone for years now. Finally she had her chance. Letting out one last squeal of excitement, she looked over at him. "I'm not dreaming, because if I am..don't wake me up until this is over!"

 

[moffnat]

Ah, there was that smile. It would make all his little endeavors worth it. Daniel laughed as he held his sister in his arms and continued as she pulled away. "I know, I can't believe it! My boss has season tickets and gets the same seats every game, but he couldn't go this weekend because his daughter's getting married. So he had a contest and I won! Thought there wouldn't be a better present for you than this." Daniel gave his sister a quick kiss on the cheek before pulling out the keys from his pocket, gesturing for her to follow. "Come on, we gotta get going!"

The drive was far from miserable. Daniel and Rebecca had always gotten along like two peas in a pod, as inseparable as if they were twins. They talked about every topic under the sun in the hour they spent driving to Foxborough, stopping along the way for Subway as he knew of his sister's love for the place. He also stopped to let her change and he slipped on his own jersey, and before long they had parked in the lots designated for Gillette Stadium. The eldest nearly bounded out of his car and to the trunk, where he opened it and pulled out a few packets of facepaint.

"Yes?" he laughed. "If you don't I will. But we gotta hurry."

 

[Powerless_]

Nobody she knew was this close to their brothers, but she wouldn't change the bond they had for the world. Rebecca had never given their relationship much thought, though never had she once attempted to question it. People sometimes believed they were twins, and she wouldn't be surprised if that had been the case. They sure did act like they could be! Sliding out of the passenger seat, she raced to the back of the truck along with him. A hint of shock came across her face, and she giggled. "Of course! What kind of woman do you take me for?" She questioned.

Fumbling around in her purse for a compact mirror, she pulled it out and set it to the side. She was almost sure her face would end up looking a mess if she tried to do this by herself. Opening up the various face paints, she pulled out a fine tip paintbrush and began to makeup her face. Drawing faint outlines of the symbol over her cheek, she then began to fill it in. She was quick with it however, which caused it to be less fantastic looking then she hoped..but it would do!

As he finished up his, she gathered together the things and threw them in her tote. Setting that in the truck, she grabbed her wallet. Just bringing the necessities into the actual stadium. "I am so excited!" She squealed with delight and like a small child, grabbed tightly to her brothers hand and began to drag him towards the event.

 

[moffnat]

Rebecca had always been relentless. Being a Patriots fan ran in their blood, in their hearts and veins and minds, but it effected his sister most of all. If anyone ever talked badly about her favorite team in her presence, she would give them lists upon lists of factual evidence supporting her claims that the Patriots aren't as bad as everyone thinks they are, and while they have been a successful team throughout most of her life, there were times when the integrity was questioned. Even with the retirement of Tom Brady and the career of the new quarterback, Locklear, Rebecca was ready to defend him with research and passion. Daniel always admired her devotion, and he reciprocated it to a degree, but Rebecca was something special entirely.

He let her drag him through toward the entrance, letting the designated person stamp their hands and provide little plastic bracelets for their entry. Dragging him down every flight of stairs imaginable, he finally pulled them through toward the designated section--right behind the field goal in the end zone, bottom row, looking directly across the field.

"Wow," he muttered, gazing out across emerald fields spray painted in the colors of their country. "Shit, this is really close. Wow. Can you believe it?

"The game starts in about an hour, want me to go grab some food and drinks or something?"