"Alright, boys. I know last week didn't go how we wanted it to." As Colin began the pre-game huddle, Atlas resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "We've been working hard, and I know you all want to see the Lombardi trophy at the end of the season. We go out there today, play the best we can, and start winning again tonight. Let's go, Lightning!" They left the locker room in a thunderous roar of feet and exited the tunnel in a stream of cobalt blue.

It had been a long week for the team. Practice was grueling after their loss, and Atlas had been too exhausted to do more than lay in bed. During his horizontal time, the rookie scrolled through his social media. He found himself searching for the original video that started everything and read through the comments. Hundreds of people had tagged Savannah in the video, others saying how adorable it was, but others simply called him a loser. Luckily, those were outweighed by the fan girls who wanted him to meet his favorite artist. With that in mind, Atlas found his eyes drifting toward the suites again.

"Hey, man, whatcha looking at?" Alex followed the path of his gaze and let out a laugh. "You nerd, you're looking for that popstar, aren't you?"

"Nah, I'm lookin' for your mom, actually. We got plans later if we win." Alex punched his shoulder but smiled good-naturedly.

"You really think a girl like that is gonna show up here?" Atlas shrugged and turned to look at his friend.

"Not really, but it's nice to imagine." The older man observed him for a moment.

"You're not just a fan of her music. You're a fan of her," he said, his smile turning into a teasing grin. "You got a little crush."

"I do not. I just really like her music, and she seems pretty cool, okay?"

"Mhm, sure. Keep telling yourself that, buddy." Alex patted his shoulder this time. "Might wanna get your head in the game. Looks like we're up."

It was a stronger start than their first game. They managed to start an early lead near the end of the first quarter, thanks to Alex, but then it began to fall apart. The Falcons managed to even the score on their next drive after a lucky short pass to their own wide receiver. It was when the Lightning retook the field that Atlas saw a problem. Colin would not throw the ball to him. Even when he was wide open, the quarterback would pass the ball to anyone else.

Atlas could see that Coach Taylor was starting to get mad, and so was Alex. The other receiver practically vibrated with annoyance as a timeout was called, and Colin was pulled to the sideline by an irate coach.

"What's goin' on, man?"

"I don't know, but he's messing with our chances of even hitting the playoffs," Alex fumed quietly behind his facemask. "He knows you're our best long-range receiver and still won't throw you the damn ball."

"Looks like coach is on the same page we are," Atlas pointed out, motioning toward the pair with his head.

"Maybe he'll get his head out of his ass." The timeout ended, and they returned to formation at the twenty-five-yard line. They didn't make any headway with their next two plays, but neither did the Falcons when they regained the ball. The game remained tied through the entire second quarter, and Atlas walked off the field for halftime without ever handling the ball.

The rookie trudged back into the locker room and headed for his cubby but paused when Alex stormed in. The senior receiver had a dark look on his face as he headed straight toward Colin, like a predator after its prey, and the quarterback seemed to realize he was in trouble.

"What the fuck are you doing, man? Why haven't you thrown the damn ball?" Colin shoved Alex back from him, but the taller man crowded in closer.

"I've been throwin' the ball for nearly two hours, jackass."

"Not to Atlas," he seethed, pointing to the rookie. "We could've had a huge lead by now, so what gives?"

"I'm not puttin' my faith into some rookie like the rest of ya," Colin spit back, his eyes landing on Atlas. "You think you're hot shit, but you're nothin' special." The rookie's jaw clenched as he refrained from commenting, knowing it would likely escalate the situation.

"Keep your god complex to yourself, O'Connor. Pass Atlas the damn ball so we can get that trophy you like talkin' about so much because he's the only way we're gonna get it," Alex stated simply, turning to look at every player in turn. "This team has been on a losing streak for a decade! We should be welcoming any new player since none of them ever wanna be here in the first place. Atlas chose this team. He could have gone anywhere and played for a winning team, but he chose to help us. All we need to do is let him." Atlas was awed by the faith that Alex had in him, but it also heightened his ever-present anxiety.

Colin said nothing as he sulked over to his own cubby, so Atlas took his own seat and stared up at Alex.

"You didn't have to do that," he murmured, knowing he was the only one close enough to hear.

"Yes, I did." Atlas wasn't sure what to say after that. His teammates had always had his back on the field, always presenting a united front for the cameras and coaches, but Alex was different. They were friends, just like the older man had said during training camp. Atlas didn't have many friends, so he was trying hard not to disappoint Alex.

"I don't get why he hates me so much," the rookie said. "I get he didn't like bein' called out in practice, but this seems a bit excessive, right?"

"Yeah, Colin's a hot-head, but he's acting way more stupid than usual," Alex agreed, dropping a hand down to pat the young man's shoulder. "Just ignore him. Coach is on his ass, so hopefully that'll set him straight. I hate to put it all on your shoulders, man, but we need a win."

"I know." It always fell to him when things got dicey. Atlas had gained his reputation through his ability to catch passes that no one else would even try for, and his college games had only added fuel to the fire. Everyone was looking at him to see what he could do, so there was more pressure than ever for the rookie to make his magic and take a losing team to the bowl for the first time in fifty years. Yeah, a lot of pressure.

Halftime passed quickly, and they retook the field to receive the ball. Atlas once again looked toward the top of the stands, but this time, he let himself believe Savannah was really up there. Atlas always performed better when he thought someone important was watching, so he hoped it would be a good boost as he jogged through the turf.

They started with a running play that gained them a short gain of five yards, but the next two plays were less successful. Lamar had been taken down barely a yard through the middle, and then Colin was sacked with a lucky break from the Falcons' linemen. The quarterback finally called the pass play, and Atlas crouched low until the ball was snapped, and then he was running.

He made it a few yards past the first down mark and then turned sharply to the right, only to find a defender eagerly waiting at his destination. The rookie pushed himself faster as he saw the ball leave Colin's hand and then angled until he was behind the cornerback, who didn't realize Colin had overthrown it.

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The catch fell into his hands perfectly, and he tucked it to his side as he sprinted toward the endzone with the stadium yelling in his ears. Atlas slowed to a stop when his feet hit the paint and signed the cross, grinning behind his mask as his teammates joined him.

"Well, look at that, Mike. Graham with a ten-yard reception, and he takes it all the way to the endzone to bring the game to thirteen-seven," Tim commented. "Let's take a look at some of the fan reactions." Atlas pulled off his helmet as they let the special team take the field and turned to watch the fan-cam with a proud smile.

The first was a father and son, the boy sitting on his dad's shoulders with blue lightning bolts painted on his cheeks. They were cheering wildly, making the rookie laugh almost giddily as they switched to three dejected Falcons fans who probably wished to be elsewhere. The third shot was higher from the VIP suites; the video was a bit shaky as the drone camera steadied, and the young man froze.

"It seems we have a special guest in the stadium today," Tim began, the glee evident in his voice. "Let's give six-time Grammy winner Savannah Summers a real Nashville welcome!" Atlas could hardly breathe as the crowd erupted into cheers, his eyes focused only on the screen as he watched her smile and laugh behind the glass. She's actually here.

Hands smacked into his back, throwing the rookie from his trance, and he found Alex and Lamar laughing behind him.

"Dude, the popstar actually showed up!" The running back shouted, looking nearly as excited as the receiver felt.

"Looks like you got all kinds of magic, huh, Houdini?" Atlas flushed from the teasing and returned to the screen, but she was already gone. "C'mon, man. You really got a game to win now."

Atlas was a ball of nerves on the bench, his legs bouncing as he waited to retake the field. He kept trying to find glimpses of Savannah, wanting to ensure he wasn't going crazy, but it was impossible under the spotlights.

"Graham, get your ass over here!" The rookie cursed himself for being so easily distracted and tried to shove everything to the back of his mind as he jogged toward Coach Taylor. It was like trying to fit a tsunami into a swimming pool.

"Yes, sir?"

"Colin's main focus is to get the biggest lead we can, which means you're about to be the Falcons target. Keep an eye out, son. The Falcons are no strangers to dirty plays," the older man advised.

"Understood, sir."

"Good, now get out there."

Atlas was invigorated as the drive began. He enjoyed all the perks that came with his lifestyle but loved being able to play the game most of all. Being on the field is when he felt closest to his brother. His eyes rose to the sky a split-second before the ball was live, and then he ran.

Alex caught a clean pass down to the Falcon's thirty-five, and he cheered loudly for his friend alongside the fans. The second play had Lamar running straight through the defenders again, but it worked out better to give them a ten-yard gain. True to the coach's word, the Falcons were on him after every snap, but he was persistent. Atlas maneuvered expertly through the defense until he was open at the fifteen and easily caught the short pass as he spun around. Two defenders were already waiting for him a few feet from the endzone line, but he only pushed himself faster.

Atlas dropped his shoulder with determination and plowed through the smaller of the two, stumbling a bit but staying on his feet as the touchdown was called. The rookie held his hand out and pulled the man up.

"You good?" He yelled over the crowd, knowing he hit the other guy pretty hard.

"Yeah, man, thanks. Good job," he called over his shoulder, bringing another smile to Atlas as he returned to the sidelines. His teammates patted his back with echoed praise, and even Colin's glare and muttered insults couldn't bring him down now. They were leading by fourteen, and the Lightning fans were boisterous from the stands, more rowdy than Atlas had ever seen.

The final half passed by faster than he could blink. The Falcons had put in a reasonable effort, but Atlas and Alex managed two more touchdowns in the last quarter that put the nail in the coffin. The rookie felt weightless as the first win of his NFL career was announced over the speakers, and he ripped off his helmet to scream alongside his teammates. No college championship had anything on the way he felt in that moment.

Alex's arm was slung over his shoulder as they headed for the locker room, the two sharing matching grins as they huddled around Coach Taylor.

"Great game, boys, that's what we want to see!" He began, gaining another cheer from the Lightning. "It was a bit of a rough start, but you pulled yourselves together, and we crushed those birds 42-14. Daniels, Graham: Excellent work out there, keep it up." The rookie preened under the praise until they dispersed to hit the showers, and headed for his cubby but then coach called him back.

"Can I speak with you in my office?" His stomach tightened, but he nodded.

"Of course, coach." Atlas followed the older man from the locker room and down the hall, feeling almost like a prisoner on death row. "Have I done something wrong?"

"No, son. Just go on in there, and I'll be back in a few minutes; I need to grab something first." The rookie watched his coach turn back around but shrugged and entered the office.

"You know, you're taller in person." Atlas paused, one foot in the door, and took in the woman leaning against the coach's desk.

"Uh, you are too," he said, trying not to stumble over his words. Savannah smiled at him and raised one of her legs just a bit, drawing his gaze down her black skinny jeans to the red-bottomed heels.

"I noticed you tend to look down at people," she shrugged. "I'd hate to give my biggest fan a crick in his neck." Atlas felt his face heat up at her words and fiddled with his hands.

"I hope you didn't feel obligated to come," he began. "I figure you're probably pretty exhausted after a tour, so I do appreciate it." Savannah waved her hand casually and crossed her arms loosely over her chest, pulling at the navy blue of her sweater.

"I'll admit that I don't usually go to football games in my downtime, but I'm always interested in trying something new. Plus, I had a good time, and you certainly put on a show," she teased. "Hard to imagine you'd be listening to my music, though."

"I love music in general, but I've listened to you since middle school," he admitted. "Do you remember the talent show at John Atkins Middle?" Savannah seemed confused for a moment, and he prayed that she remembered, but then she huffed out a small laugh.

"The first time I ever performed in front of an actual audience. How do you know about that? I don't think I've ever mentioned it in any interviews."

"I was sitting at the top of the bleachers, and I listened to you sing about people never seeing the real you; I really started listening to music after that. I wanted to talk to you, but I was never brave enough to actually approach you. Especially with your friend always there; she kinda scared me." He smiled back at the memory, even if it was a bit embarrassing to say aloud.

"Lila's a puppy; only bites when provoked," Savannah joked, giving him another dazzling smile that made his heart stutter inside his chest. "I think she mentioned you once or twice, now that I think about it. She kept me updated on the happenings when I went on my first tour and mentioned a freshman player who dominated any team they put him against." Atlas blushed a bit at her words but tried to cover it with an awkward laugh.

"It was always a team effort; I'm sure she was exaggerating." The popstar hummed and gave him a once-over.

"I'm not so sure. After all, you're here, aren't you?" She had a fair point, but he only hummed back. "So, is there anything in particular you wanted to say?"

"I'm sure I could think of a million questions, but I'm sure you got better things to do than talk to a fan for a few hours," Atlas laughed. "I guess I want you to know that someone understands. I might not be a worldwide name, but I get what it's like to feel like people only see one side." He gave her another smile, this one usually saved for his parents or friends and watched her falter for a second.

"You're something different, Mr. Graham," she eventually said, eyeing him curiously as she straightened to her full height.

"I'll take that as a compliment," he replied. "Could I be bold?"

"Try your luck." The rookie took a fortifying breath and stepped closer to her, noticing her freeze when they were mere inches apart. He met her gaze and found that he could stare at her forever given the chance, but realized he was probably making her uncomfortable and finally grabbed what he had searched for.

He uncapped the sharpie and held out his hand.

"I don't know about you, but I know I could always use another friend." Savannah offered her hand, and he grasped her wrist gently as he scrawled his number across her palm. "Use it or don't. It's up to you, Ms. Summers. The ball's in your hands."