“Look at that, Mike, a devastating loss for Cincinnati as they call the game with 45 seconds left on the clock. They had a rough start that just kept getting worse as the Lightning dominated the field tonight.”

“I can admit that they played great tonight. Their defense was on point after their narrow win against the Giants last week, but you can see every player putting in the work tonight. Alex Daniels had four touchdown receptions tonight, the most he’s had so far this season, and never once slowed down. A truly impressive game.”

Atlas beamed to himself as he followed his teammates into the locker room. He pulled his helmet off, sat it at the bottom of his locker, and grabbed a protein bar to munch while Coach Taylor called everyone to the center.

“You all played great tonight, and I’m real proud of every one of you, boys. Defense, you guys busted your ass during practice, and it paid off; good work. Daniels and Graham, excellent work on getting the ball to the endzone,” the older man praised while the two silently bumped fists. “You all have earned a day off, so I will see you all on Tuesday for practice. Enjoy your night off, and make good decisions. Again, great game, boys.”

The coaches took their leave, and the team was in high spirits as they all got ready for a night out. Atlas shot off two texts before he hit the showers and was among the first to leave the locker room. His parents had arrived in Cincinnati a few days ago to sleep off the jet lag before his game, so they were already heading back to the hotel. The rookie took a cab through the city, his leg bouncing as he texted Savannah.

Atlas: I’m headed back to the hotel

My parents are waiting

Savannah: Did they watch the game

Atlas: Yeah I got em some suite tickets

We’re gonna get dinner at the hotel

Savannah: I hope you guys have a good time :)

Atlas: How was the studio?

Atlas pocketed his phone as the cabbie pulled up to the sidewalk and passed a bill through the slot as he exited the car. There were a few paparazzi by the door, but they were stopped by the doorman from coming inside, thankfully. The rookie took his bag to the room he shared with Alex and slung it onto the bed unceremoniously before heading back to the ground floor. Atlas glanced around the restaurant for his parents and smiled when he found them waving him down at a table near the bar.

“Atlas, you were amazing, sweetie!” His ma gushed, jumping up from the table to wrap her arms around him. He hugged her back, mindful not to crush her, but practically lifted his dad off the ground. It had been five months since he last saw his parents, and he couldn’t help his excitement.

“You guys enjoy the suite?”

“Oh, it was wonderful!” Nina said, hands clasped to her chest as they took their seats. “We could see everything. You and that other boy did so well tonight.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. I can get you tickets to the home games if y’all want; it’s no trouble.”

“You know we’ll always come and support you, kiddo,” his father reminded, giving him a wide smile that matched the rookie’s. “I’ve heard there’s already talk of the Lightning making the playoffs this year.”

“Yeah, there’s all kinds of talk right now. Unfortunately, a lot of people are waiting for our luck to run out,” Atlas shrugged, reaching for the menu.

“Luck has nothing to do with it, son. You boys have been bustin’ your asses, and it shows.”

“We’re just gonna keep trying our best, and hopefully we can make it to the Super Bowl.”

“I’m sure you’ll get there, honey,” his ma soothed. “On another note, we brought you some things from France!” Atlas bit back another smile as she pulled a decently sized leather backpack from under the table. “Your father and I ended up visiting a few other countries since we had more time on our hands than we knew what to do with. The first was Italy, where we found this lovely leather shop in the countryside. We thought you’d love this one.” They were right. Atlas already adored the dark brown bag and all the pockets he could fill with his numerous trinkets. A flash of silver caught his eye as he grabbed it, and he beamed at the little Eiffel Tower keychain dangling from one of the zippers.

“There’s something in every pocket, so be diligent when you open it later, alright?” The older man warned as Atlas gently sat it in the chair beside him.

“I’ll go ahead and tell you one thing inside. We stopped at one of the Parisian bakers and got a few packs of macarons for you to try, maybe with a certain pop star,” Nina suggested, giving him a Cheshire grin. “I didn’t see her at the game today.”

“Savannah had to be in the studio. Albums take a lot of time when you’re writing all the words and music,” Atlas pointed out. “She might be at the next one, though, if you want to meet her.”

“Do you ever see her outside of the stadium?” Nadine probed, worse than Alex in her pursuit of gossip.

“Sometimes. She came to celebrate with the team once, and we went out to dinner.” The rookie saw how her eyes lit up and quickly added, “But it wasn’t a date. We just got food and talked for a few hours.”

“You know what your father and I did on our first date?” Atlas’ brows furrowed as he wracked his brain.

“Didn’t you guys get arrested on your first date?”

“No, no, that is how we met. Our first date was the day after when we sat in Jo’s Diner talkin’ until she kicked us out,” His dad corrected, giving his wife a soft smile.

“Well, we just had dinner as friends. The news rags have been going crazy with their theories, though. Savannah’s been single for over a year, so now everyone thinks we’re together just because she came to a game,” Atlas scoffed.

“But she keeps coming.” The young man paused momentarily as he thought about the situation in that context. Atlas had asked himself time and time again why Savannah kept coming back. She was a busy woman and could do more important things, but she spent her day watching him run around with a ball instead.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“Maybe she put money on the Lightning,” he finally replied, gaining an eye roll from his ma. “She’s had a pretty lackluster dating history, while I have no dating history worth mentioning, so any chance of us being a couple depends entirely on her. I have no clue how to actually be someone’s boyfriend, so I’m not gonna push for a situation I’m unprepared for.”

“Unfortunately, son, dating is not something you can ever really prepare for,” his dad stated. “There’s no set strategy for success since every couple is different. You just have to dive in and get ready to swim, no matter how choppy the water gets. You got a heart of gold, Atlas. I doubt you’ll have any trouble making your young lady happy if she decides to make a move.” The rookie toyed with the zipper of his jacket as he thought about his father’s words.

“How did you know Ma was the one?”

“It was the butterflies,” the older man replied succinctly. “You know the story of how we met. Your mom was runnin’ from the law after a protest, hopped on the back of my bike, and told me to floor it. I felt those butterflies in my stomach even when they caught up to us, and I knew at that moment that I just had to marry the girl who got me locked up.” Nina rolled her eyes at his father’s dramatic retelling of their chance meeting, but her expression was fond as she regarded him.

Atlas tried to picture himself in his father’s situation. Married to the love of his life, trying to impart wisdom to their child, and in his mother’s place was Savannah. He could see it clear as day the longer he thought about it, the two of them growing together as they made a life for themselves. Given their respective professions, it would be challenging between scheduling and the media, but the rookie knew he wouldn’t mind trying if it was with Savannah.

----------------------------------------

Atlas spent another two hours chatting with his parents over food and a few drinks, his skin flushed from liquor and laughter. He called it a night when his ma could no longer hide her yawns, and hugged them both tight with a promise to invite them over to his new apartment before the next game. Atlas checked his messages while he took the elevator up to the team’s floor, noting two from Alex but clicking on Savannah’s name.

Savannah: It went well enough

One of the songs is giving me some trouble

Atlas: What kinda trouble?

Savannah: Oh he lives

How was dinner with your parents?

Atlas: Great, they got me a backpack with gifts

I’m supposed to share one with you actually

It was only a minute before his phone began to buzz in hand, and Atlas swiped up as he stepped into the empty hotel room. Savannah’s face filled the screen, her copper hair pulled up into a messy ponytail that bounced wildly as she moved.

“Hey, you’re not too busy, right?” She asked, her eyes focused on something out of his view.

“Never for you,” Atlas replied without thought, flopping back onto the stiff bed with a sigh. “Wanna tell me about the song?”

“I have the words, and I got the music, but it still doesn’t sound right,” Savannah complained, the view changing once again as she sat in what looked like an adult-sized beanbag.

“What do you mean by that exactly? Like, the words sound like they don’t fit?”

“They sound empty,” she stressed. “There’s no emotion, nothing to make it real.”

“Okay, so what’s it about?”

“It’s about that moment when you think that maybe you could love someone, but it doesn’t sound like me because I’ve never experienced that feeling.” Atlas sucked in a sharp breath, hoping she hadn’t heard. “I can’t write and sing about feeling butterflies when all I’ve got is caterpillars.”

“Have you considered setting the song on the back burner then?” He offered, toying with the keychain as he moved to lean back against the headboard.

“I might have to.” Savannah let out a soft huff and then shook her head. “I’ll work on it more tomorrow. How about you tell me about your gifts?”

“I haven’t opened it yet, so it’ll be new for both of us,” he replied, unclasping the two front pouches at the bottom.

“Oh, cool, it’s like an unboxing video!” Atlas smiled as he tossed a pillow toward the end of the bed to act as a stand to give Savannah the best viewing experience. He pulled out the first item, a silver glass bottle no bigger than the shooters they give on airplanes.

“I think it’s perfume?” He said, twisting the top off to hold the stopper to his nose. “Oh, it smells like a cinnamon roll, hell yeah.”

“You are pretty sweet,” Savannah commented, giving him a twinkling smirk through the screen. Atlas chose not to respond as he grabbed the gift from the second pouch and held it up for her to see. “Is that tea?”

“Ew, god no, it’s hot chocolate. Tea is gross.” The singer laughed, presumably at the disgusted expression he was making.

“Sorry, I forgot I was dealing with a child.”

“You’re only two years older than me,” Atlas pointed out as he opened the following three pockets.

“You’re just mad I have a more sophisticated palate.” She poked her tongue out at him, and he absently wondered what people would say if they could see them acting like teenagers. Savannah was always so reserved in public, but she seemed to be letting loose since the start of the season. Atlas wanted to say she seemed happier and liked to think he could be the reason.

They went through the rest of the bag, with Savannah pointing out things she recognized from her time in Europe, her voice tinged with fond memories. Atlas managed to put everything back into the backpack and collapsed backward against the pillows happily. The exhaustion was catching up to him as his body began to grow heavy, but he didn’t want to let the day end just yet.

“I’m gonna change real quick,” Savannah said after he settled, “but I’ll be back. I have a question I wanted to ask you.” Atlas was curious about what she might ask but decided to follow her lead and forced himself to roll out of bed. He stripped off his clothes and tossed them into his duffel bag before sliding on a pair of worn basketball shorts. The young man slid under the heavy duvet and picked up his phone, waiting patiently until Savannah popped back into view.

“What did you wanna ask me?”

“Do you know any diners in town?”

“I know a couple. You lookin’ for anything specific?” Atlas questioned, already going through a mental Rolodex of the restaurants he had visited.

“A good milkshake, preferably.”

“Hm, I’d recommend the Diner. They’re open pretty late and have this awesome bourbon pecan milkshake, plus a variety of food.” Alex had shown him the spot near the start of the season and had been right about the quality, so he felt it was a safe recommendation

“Maybe we could go after the game if you’re free?” Atlas froze for a moment as his brain processed her question, but he forced a reboot and nodded enthusiastically.

“Yeah, no, I’d love to,” he said quickly, hoping she hadn’t taken his hesitation as reluctance. “So, I’ll see you next Sunday?” The rookie’s words came out jumbled, and he cringed at how he must sound. Thankfully, Savannah made no comment on his desperation, instead giving him a coy smirk. Something thudded loudly in his ears, and he realized it was his heart beating a nervous pattern against his ribcage like a battering ram.

“It’s a date, Atlas. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” His screen went dark, and Atlas let the phone fall to his chest as he grinned at the ceiling like a loon.

“It’s a date,” the young man repeated, wondering if this was the butterflies his father had mentioned.