#nfl fan fiction

[idyllicbarb]

𝐇𝐔𝐁𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐃’𝐒 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐄

pairing: sam x vlogger!reader

synopsis: it’s the offseason in the nfl, sam now being able to travel freely for a few months before camp starts. vlogger!reader meets sam during her vacation, not realizing how much they relate to each other. falling hard for one another opens up a world full of endless opportunities and a chance for both sam and reader to experience something they’ve been craving for the longest.

warning: angst, fluff, smut, sad!sam, smoking cigars, drinking, old-relationship trauma, cussing at each other, slow burn.

quote for series: “who are you, when you’re not performing?”

playlist: recommended songs for series

you smile as the water crashes along your feet, currently in orange beach, alabama. life for you is something else right now. leaving your hometown after college, you decide to start fresh. you flip your camera down to your freshly painted white toes. "so pretty guys, and it's calm out here!" you say to the camera as the wind blows in your face.

that was something else that you decided to do, vlogging. you didn't know what caused you to buy a camera and tripod, you just did. maybe this felt like a safe way to communicate how you feel about your life. it was a great idea, your mind telling you. birds in the distance fly throughout the sky, landing anywhere on the beach.

you're from florida, a fun time growing up there but too much trauma for you regarding your relationship. boyfriend of three years decided to cheat on you while you were in class. finding out by seeing there was lipstick smeared on your sink, the thing is, you only wear lipgloss. shaking your head from the flashbacks, you walk back to your covered chair.

in the distance is sam with a few of his friends from college. he's sitting down with shades covering his eyes while a random playlist is blasting through some speakers sam grabbed from the trunk of his rental. he's looking in your direction but you're too busy giggling at whatever is on your phone. hearing a friend call his name, sam stands up to greet him, leaving the thought of you in the back of his mind for now.

you pull up your shorts over your bikini, there's laughter coming from the left of you and you turn your head to see a group of guys hanging out. one man in particular sticks out to you, well maybe it's because he's wearing blue swim shorts, blue hat, and a chain around his neck. he's dapping up his friend with a smile on his face, you wonder if you should get his phone number. but you shake that thought out of you, realizing that he probably doesn't live where you live.

placing everything inside your tote bag, you turn to your camera, "it was a great time out here, i can't wait to explore the rest of orange beach with you guys!" you say with excitement in your voice before hitting save, closing your camera. putting your glasses on, you flag down the lifeguard and alert him that you're leaving.

"thank you for spending some time with us today," the young man, kendrick, says with a smile on his face. you give him a nice tip, "you'll probably be seeing me almost everyday dear, take care." you send him a friendly wink before walking back to your car.

sam seen the whole thing, he didn't even get a chance to see your face but is wanting to be near you. practically aching for some affection after his last relationship ended pitifully. maybe you'll be here in orange beach for a while just like sam.

conversation with his friend, jake, resumes again, sam hears something about going out to eat tonight. "yeah i don't mind man," sam responds with before taking a sip of his beer. the sun begins setting and the friend group returns back to their hotels to get ready for dinner. sam silently pleading he'll be able to run into you and get a conversation out of you.

—

i don't wanna give

you the wrong impression

you're listening to rihanna while applying mascara. feeing pretty enough to go out tonight, maybe make a few memories, feel happy for once in a while. you wipe away a stray tear not trying to get reminded of that horrendous event. your stomach feels as if its turning into knots while you continue doing your makeup.

taking deep breaths, you finish applying your blush to your cheeks. adding some eyelashes, you feel complete with how you did your makeup. closing everything and placing it inside of your bag neatly, you put your airpods in your ear letting the song continue to play.

i need love

and affection

you slip your sneakers on then putting some earrings on. smiling to yourself in the mirror, you feel amazing. feeling like the old you. grabbing your phone, you turn the music off and grab the keys to the rental car. you keep a few lights on in the condo to return back to, closing and locking the door, you hear kids giggling on the sidewalks.

a neighbor says hello to you in which you do the same, giving them a soft smile. walking down to your car, you get in and immediately start it. placing the car in drive, you head off into the nightlife finding anything that catches your eye. a local gift shop makes you park your car and head inside, finding a few people who are picking up figurines and merchandise.

and i hope i'm not

sounding too desperate

walking around for a bit, you come across some the pink section picking up a hello kitty jar and looking closely at it. the door to the store opens, a loud group of men coming inside. you turn your music up a little bit louder, not in the mood to deal with anybody.

i need love

and affection

sam hears music playing behind him, he sees your back and realizes that it's you. the same woman he seen earlier today on the beach.

you seemed to be very reversed and shy, not wanting anybody in your personal bubble. you were holding up a pink heart shaped tray, sam has to stop watching you when his friends calls his name. "sam, what you find?" jake asks, he blinks bringing himself back to reality.

"nothing yet, i'm still searching for some party decorations." sam replies as he moves in the direction of the blue section. you turn your volume down a little bit when hearing a few raspy voice, your eyes come in connect with sam's back. moving out of the section that you're in, you walk towards the decor aisle.

"your favorite color must be pink," a voice from behind speaks, causing you to pause your music and put your airpods in your pockets. you turn your head to come in contact with the man who you didn’t realize had you sworn at the beach. just to find out that he's.. sam hubbard?

you tilt your head to the side and he laughs, "yeah, i know, not used to seeing an athlete out roaming like this," and you nod your head in agreement remembering what sam first said to you, "yeah, i uh.. i do like the color pink! how'd you notice?"

sam points to the hello kitty jar that's in your hand, "this and you looking at pink pillows gives me the idea that you enjoy anything that is pink." you blush slightly, trying to hide the smile that's creeping up on your face. "well, thank you for noticing that, i'm y/n."

sam reaches his hand out to shake yours and you give him a small shake before pulling away slowly, "of course well, i'm sam hubbard, are you from here y/n?" you shake your head no and sam wants to scream the word 'yes' very loud. "where do you live? if you don't mind me asking of course."

"cincinnati.. ohio." you feel as if a freight train has just struck you. remembering how sam was born and raised there plus he still lives there since he plays for the bengals. "oh really? maybe you can come see me play." you cover your mouth from laughing really loud in the store, "what makes you think i'll watch those bengals games for you?"

sam steps a bit closer to you, "with the way i've had you giggling since i started speaking to you, i'm sure you'll want to see me more." you grin a bit at his cocky words, he's somewhat right but you'll never let him know. at least not at the moment, "yeah, whatever helps you sleep at night mr. sam hubbard."

sam snickers at your comment, "how about when you finish shopping, we can walk across the street to the ice cream shop?" you look up to meet sam's sincere eyes staring down into yours, "i um.. is this suppose to be a date?" you tease and sam chest rumbles with laughter, "if you want it to be, i just want to get to know you better. that's all." you hum at his words before walking around him to head to the register.

"don't go anywhere mr. ninety-four." you joke, turning your attention towards the cashier afterwards.

—

you placed your bags inside the car and walked over the busy orange beach streets to get some ice cream with sam. "you must be here on vacation?" he asks once you two are in line. "yeah, just needed a peace of mind." you shrug your shoulders, not wanting to talk about your past relationship. "i say you're here for the same thing as well?"

"yeah, decided to leave cinncinati for the off season." you hum at his words and walk up to the counter when you're the next two people in line. "oh! fudge brownie, that sounds so good." sam laughs at the way you're staring at the menu items, "what? a girl loves chocolate!"

"interesting. i thought you'd like vanilla or something." you frown and make a fake upset face, "you've mistaken me for a basic bitch. i'm never basic." sam just laughs and stares at you as you swing your hair off your shoulders.

"i must interest your mind, hubbard," you say with your mouth full of brownies after waiting for a few minutes for you two's order. "yeah, yeah, just seen you on the beach and was hoping i could come across you again."

"sounds somewhat stalker like don't you think?" you say with a smile on your face and sam chuckles at that, "you got a lot of jokes up your sleeves i see."

you’re about to reply to sam until you hear the same rihanna and future song that had been playing while you were doing your makeup earlier. “oh! this is my song, what you know about this?” you ask sam before singing off tune to the lyrics.

“can you love me for poor?” you move your hands around as you sing.

“i’m searchin’ for my soul.” sam lowly sings and you snap your eyes at him, “whoever turned ya cold, you need to let ‘em know.” you stopped singing, letting sam continue but he doesn’t as he stares into your eyes the way that he did earlier in the store. the song continues to play in the background.

i can work miracles

i’ll work you physical

and when i hold you close

you can feel my heart

beating from my clothes

[mustachrryluvr]

Spongebob

Joe Burrow One Shot

Word Count: 1.6k

Warnings: none

-

“You know what always makes me feel better when I’m feeling overwhelmed?”

“What’s that, bub?” you ask curiously, having no idea where he could be going with that. 

“Watching spongebob.” 

—

—

You had been having a rough couple of weeks. Since you were still a student, you weren’t always able to follow Joe all over the country for his games. It is what it is, but sometimes it really got to you that you weren’t able to watch him succeed, or be there for him after a loss as often as you would like. Of course you could watch the games on tv, but it wasn’t the same as physically being there for him. 

You were in your very last semester of college, and Joe had always supported you and made sure you knew he understood why you wouldn’t be able to come to all of his games. He would love if you were always there to watch him in person, and he knew that would happen in due time. Once you graduated, you would have time to live the NFL girlfriend life and you couldn’t wait. 

You and Joe had only met last summer, so this was your first football season together. You met one random night in May when you were visiting your friend who was living in Cincinnati for the summer. You and your friend were making the most of your visit and were having the best girls’ night out at the bars when in walks no one other than the Bengals’ quarterback. Needless to say, everyone in the bar wanted to hang out with him. He was hanging out with some of his buddies from high school for the evening and knew going out in Cincy would be chaotic, but figured it would be worth the shot. As the evening progressed and bar goers had more drinks in them, everyone started to leave Joe alone. You both happened to stumble up to the bar in search of a new drink at the same time and the rest is history. 

Exchanging numbers with Joe that night was the best thing that had ever happened to you. You only lived an hour and a half from Cincinnati, so that made it easy to go up on weekends to see him, with the occasional longer visit when you could get off work. It was harder for him to be able to leave town to come to you with his practice schedule, but you didn’t mind the drive. 

Your relationship progressed very quickly. With not being able to see each other constantly and being semi-long distance, you were really able to cherish the time you were together. It didn’t take much time for either of you to realize how real the love between you two was. 

You feared the strain the strain on your relationship that would be caused by you being in school while he had a full football season to complete, but you guys made it work. Texts, phone calls, and facetimes made it work. You went to as many home games as you could, but you couldn’t make it to all of them. 

But that’s okay, because now it’s the off season and Joe has more free time to spend with you. 

Except it’s not okay. 

It’s not okay because it’s only the off season because the Bengals lost to the Chiefs in the AFC Championship. 

A game you didn’t even get to go to because you had an exam you had to take early Monday morning and wouldn’t have enough time to fly back to Cincinnati and then drive to your campus. 

It’s been a few days since the game and you are still feeling immense guilt. Watching the game from your apartment living room was perfectly fine util the game ended and there were tears streaming down your face because all you wanted to do was hug Joe and tell him that everything would be okay. You could tell during the post-game interviews that all he wanted was to get the questions over with from him short answers, and your heart broke being able to see the sadness in his face. He was a tough boy and hid his emotions well, but you could read him like no other. Even though you had a perfectly good reason to not be at the game, you just felt so selfish and guilty for not being there for him when he needed you most. 

Now it was the Wednesday after and things still felt so overwhelming. Joe had traveled down to stay with you for a few days this afternoon, and you couldn’t be happier to finally get to see him. But between being so busy with school and still feeling weird about missing the game on Sunday, seeing him made it all come boiling over. 

He had barely stepped a foot into your apartment when your smile faded and the tears began streaming down your face. 

Worried, he immediately dropped his things, closed and locked your apartment door, and wrapped his arms around you as tight as he could, one around you body with one hand holding your head to his chest. 

“Hey, hey. What’s up with the tears, bug? What’s going on, hmm?” he paused to kiss the top of your head and rest his lips there for a beat to see if you were calming down. Once it was clear you were full on sobbing into his chest, he gently turned his head down to try and get a glimpse of you before he spoke in a hushed tone, “Pretty girl, it’s okay to cry…but whatever it is that has you this upset, I would like to know. I don’t know how to help unless you talk to me.” 

You lifted your head a tad to speak, but couldn’t stop the tears or catch your breath to get anything out. 

“Hey, shhhhh. It’s okay, breathe with me, okay? Big breath in, and let it out.” 

Joe walked you through some big breaths for a minute until you finally started to calm down. You burrowed yourself deeper into him and his hands smoothed over your back as his touch felt very grounding.

“There’s my girl. What’s going on in this pretty head of yours?” He asked, once again placing a kiss on the top of your head and proceeding to rest his cheek there as he swayed your bodies and waited for your response. 

You sniffled a little then said, “I just missed you.” 

“Hmmm, I missed you too, but that can’t be all of it, bug. We are apart from each other all the time, and I’ve never seen you react like this.” 

You sighed, annoyed but endeared that he knows you that well. 

“I just…I just am so sad I wasn’t there for you Sunday,” you mumbled out, feeling fresh tears on your waterline. “You needed me, and I wasn’t there.

He squeezed you tighter and waited for you to continue. 

“I just feel guilty for not being there when you needed me most. It’s just been an overwhelming feeling…you work so hard and deserve the world and I felt so useless. I couldn’t do anything to help you.” As you finish your confession, you could feel new tears streaming down your face. You weren’t full on sobbing, but getting this overwhelming feeling off your chest allowed you to breathe a little easier. 

“Why didn’t you tell me you were feeling this way? We’ve talked plenty since the game?” Joe askd, not trying to berate you for not telling him, just genuinely concerned as to why you had been bottling all these big feelings up. 

“I just didn’t want to feel like a burden to you, Joey. You had enough you were and are going through. I was just worried about you.”

“Yeah, but I worry about you when you don’t talk to me, bug. I don’t want you bottling things up so much that you’re feeling so overwhelmed. You have absolutely no reason to feel guilty for not being there. All your texts, calls, and FaceTimes have been my saving grace,” he pauses, pulled back from your grasp and reached up to grab your cheeks so you are forced to look into his eyes. 

With a serious look on his face he says, “You are not a burden and you are not useless. Okay?” he pauses and looks at you with his eyebrows raised, awaiting a response. You slightly nod and he continues. “I love you. Even if you weren’t physically at the game, I knew you were still there. Because you are always right here,” he says as he places your hand over his heart. 

You look down at where he has placed your hand, take a deep breath, then look back up at him as he continues, “I wish you were physically there to hug after, but you were back here being the little smarty pants you are, studying away,” he said with a small smile as you slightly giggled at his wording. “And I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Next year, when you don’t have responsibilities to school, you’ll probably be sick of dealing with me after games. I can be quite the pain in the ass.” 

You smile at his words and respond, “Yeah, but you’ll be my pain in the ass.”

“Absolutely,” he responds, happy to be seeing the light come back into your eyes. 

He pulls you back into a hug, closing his eyes and smiling as he rests his head on yours. 

“You know what always makes me feel better when I’m feeling overwhelmed?”

“What’s that, bub?” you ask curiously, having no idea where he could be going with that. 

“Watching spongebob.” 

“Of course,” you say with a giggle. “You are such a kid.”

“Maybe, but you love it, bug,” he responds before he reaches down and gives you a big, slobbery kiss on the cheek. 

“Ewww!” you laugh as you push him off of you. “Go pull up an episode and I’ll go get some snacks… and maybe disinfect my cheek, Christ.”

--

--

a/n: ahhhhhh my first joe burrow one shot??? born and raised a bengals fan so joey becoming our quarterback has made me go insane... obviously ... let me know what you all think! 

i also did NOT proof read this and i wrote it in like 20 mins so… hope it’s fine??

[hunterevie]

As Kansas have got into the Super Bowl final again let’s celebrate with this gem of a story I wrote after the last one.

Story - Super Bowl Sunday

Pairing - Castiel/Dean Winchester

Rating - Teen

Word count - 1295

Summary - Dean decides he wants to watch Super Bowl 58 with Cas, and almost immediately regrets it when his husband persists in asking him questions.

“Dean, I don’t understand what’s going on.” Cas said as they watched the ball get collected, making it 3rd down and 5 yards. It had only been a few plays in and Dean was already getting annoyed with Cas’s incessant question asking. It was a rare opportunity for him to watch the Super Bowl, normally he would be out on a hunt. Or driving to a hunt. Or dead. Or worrying about one of the people he loved being dead. So when none of these things happened for Super Bowl 58, he thought it would be nice to sit down and experience it with his husband. Spend a bit of time doing something a normal American would do.

And almost immediately he regret it.

Why was the pre-coverage so long? Why were there so many ads? Why are there so many players? What are all these coaches about? Why are they set up like that? So many questions just before the first play had even begun. And then by the 3rd Dean was slowly losing the will to care about the football going on ahead of him.

He was half tempted to just make out with the angel to shut him up.

“It’s very simple Cas. The offensive team have 4 attempts to make a certain amount of yardage up the field, usually 10, if they’re successful it resets and they start again. If they get to the 4th attempt they can make the decision as to whether to go for a throw or bring on special teams for a kick. This is all in a bid to either get a touchdown or a field goal. That make a bit more sense?” He stared at him with that adorable little head tilt, as if he was going to say no, he didn’t understand it, and ask even more questions. Instead he just smiled, nodding and went back to watching the game. Dean believed that would be the end of it.

Oh how he was wrong.

“Dean why are they throwing flags on the field of play?” And there it was, the next thing Cas wanted to know. Maybe he should have sat him down and told him the basics before they started to watch the game. That would have been the better thing to do. he couldn’t do anything to change that now though, only learn from his mistake when he had another bright idea like watch sport with his husband.

“Because there’s been some kind of foul, or an offside and they need to give a penalty for it.”

“And a penalty is?” Christ! This was painful. He’d have thought an all knowing Angel of the Lord as old as time itself would have had time to figure this all out himself. He guessed he did have other more pressing things to contend with though.

“In this case it would be a handicap for doing something wrong. So a loss of 5 yards or so.” There was a tiny little ‘ah’ noise from Cas before he turned back to the screen. Dean regarded him for a moment. Expecting him to ask something new, but he didn’t. After a few moments, he went back to watching the game also.

It was about an hour later when he finally did speak again.

“Dean.” Oh for the love of…

“Yes Cas?”

“Is that clock wrong?” Clock? What clock? He was completely perplexed at what Cas meant and was glad when he clarified. “The clock counting down the quarter. Is it wrong?” Oh he meant that clock.

“No Cas. Why would it be wrong?”

“Well…because they said this quarter would only be 15 minutes and we have been watching for an hour now.”

“It’s because there are a lot of stoppages. That and adverts. Which draws out the time a bit longer.” Again, his husband was pondering something. Staring at the screen and then back at Dean. This time Dean didn’t think he’d be so lucky, he knew Cas was going to have another question, or an opinion, on this.

“Then why don’t they just make it 60 minutes for one quarter?” He looked at Cas like he had gone insane. That was the dumbest thing he’d ever heard.

“Because they don’t play 60 minutes Cas. They only play 15.” He said matter of factly. The Angel looked like he wanted to argue but decided against it. Going back to the game.

This was becoming irritating.

“Dean, why do they keep showing that woman?” It had been so quiet that Dean jumped when his husband spoke again. At first he wasn’t sure what woman Cas was talking about.

“You mean Taylor Swift?” He asked when he finally clicked. Rather than respond his husband just peered at him with those insanely blue eyes, as if a silent response of yes, that’s who I meant. Sighing, Dean rubbed his eyes. “She’s dating one of the Kansas City players.”

“But why do they keep showing her?”

“Because she’s popular and famous Cas. There’s a lot of excitement around her and some people want to see her.”

“But don’t people watch the Super Bowl for the football?” Preaching to the choir. Dean thought at those words. His boyfriend was right. There was a reason so many football fans were getting irritated at seeing her, but that wasn’t an avenue he was going to go down. There were enough people online who had an opinion on that.

“Let’s not get into that. Let’s just watch the rest of the game shall we?” Again, Cas considered whether he wanted to say more. But decided against it. Thankfully, they went back to their game not long afterwards.

The game dragged on. Cas seemed a little more content throughout. Not constantly asking questions. Instead getting more into the game. He seemed to really enjoy the half time show, probably because he was happy they had a little make out session whilst they were waiting for the game to begin.

In the second half he was almost silent. Just watching, occasionally cheering when Dean did to show he was enjoying himself. And Dean believed that he was.

That was until the commentator said two words.

“Dean, what do they mean this game could go into overtime?” As he asked he looked legitimately worried at the idea. Enough to make Dean believe that Cas was only pretending to enjoy the game for Deans sake.

And there was something insanely endearing about that.

“Yeah, that’s what happens when a game is tied. They continue to play until there’s a winner.” Oh Cas did not like that. His eyes darkened, as if irritated at the idea of having to watch more of this game. Dean braced himself for Cas’s frustrations to come out.

“You mean I have sat through 4 hours of this football match and it isn’t even over yet? That’s it, I’m going out.” He stood from the couch, Dean saw what was going to happen. He was going to vanish himself elsewhere and probably not come back for a few days because Dean had forced him to watch the game. That wasn’t what he wanted to happen.

“Wait wait wait. You can’t waste 4 hours and not stick it out to find out the winner.”

“Kansas City Chiefs are going to win by 3 in OT.” And with that he popped out of the room. Leaving Dean blinking in confusion as to what had just happened and to finish the rest of the game alone. Clearly this was not going to be an activity they’d enjoy together and he felt a little bad making him watch so long when he can’t have been enjoying it.

He’d make it up to Cas when he came home.

[overusedtoothbrush]

forget the 9/11 to 50 shades of gray pipeline let’s talk about the top gun to me becoming a ny giants fan pipeline

[swissboyhisch]

It's Me lol

The poll I shared the other day is from a new blog I've started but it's not getting as much traction as I thought it would. So, I am going to post it to here as well.

I'm thinking of creating a writing discord server. Whether its original stories or fan fic writing. A ship or an oc story. A place where you can find other people who shares your interests in fandoms and writing. Maybe you'd be able to find a beta reader, or someone who is happy to help edit your story. Even to ask people questions about the world it takes place in. A place for everyone to encourage and motivate each other to reaching goals.

I'd love it if you answered the pole below and reblog it with things you'd love to see in a writing server.

I'd love for this to get as much traction as it could. Reblog, send to your friends you'd think would love this idea.

Imma tags some of my favourites :)

@mp0625 @cellythefloshie @offside-the-lines @wyattjohnston @astars-things

[tampatom12]

Would a Mahones/Burrow fic offend everyone in the nfl fandom?

It honestly might, anon!!

However, I also think that people would be intrigued by it because of how unusual of a pairing they are, so whatever the story is about, it would definitely get some readers attracted to it!!!

Also, I know that some people love the whole Burrow/Mahomes rivalry thing, so it could easily be an enemies to friends lovers story. (:

Anyway, while I understand the perspective of the Burrow/Mahomes rivalry, I personally don't think that their rivalry is all that deep. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Not to get too off topic here, but I do want to add that the Burrow/(Josh) Allen rivalry makes a lot more sense to me in general!!!!!

But back to your original question, anon:

As we all know, anything and everything can offend people, no matter what. While a Burrow/Mahomes story would definitely catch some side-eye, I also think that if you want to see then together and are a writer, please GO FOR IT!!!!!

But if you were only asking this in a hypothetical way and don't actually intend to ever read or write for this pairing, that's ok too. 🙂

Bottom line: A Burrow/Mahomes fic would for sure be interesting, even if these two don't really make a whole lot of practical sense overall and would likely weird out/offend the NFL fandom a little. (: 😅💞

[youngeditor1999]

Now is the time to formally tell all of you about THE NFL RPF that did exactly what OP said.

To start, I have mentioned this fic before over on my NFL RPF rec list!! <3 <3 <3

Anyway:

This story is a Tom Brady/Rob Gronkowski one shot that only has just under 3k words, but every single word counts and matters so so much.

The way the descriptions are make me feel things plus the time/energy/effort that the author put into it is very clear throughout the entire story.

Written in 2012, this was one of the first NFL RPF's that I had ever read. The fact that Tom/Rob are a bit of a rare pair within the world of NFL RPF did not turn me off, especially after I had seen everything about them leading up to the 2021 Super Bowl (the Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs the Kanas City Chiefs at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay).

Anyway, this story perfectly captures their dynamics and make so much sense based on the way that they are together when in public.

Told from Tom's point of view, the story delves into why Tom is having the thoughts that he is about his relationship with Rob.

It also greatly highlights Rob's voice and shows over simply telling the reader exactly how and why Rob feels what he does for Tom.

There's also so many absolutely iconic one-liners within this piece!! My favorites are "lust like that was intoxicating" and "his no-nonsense answer was deeply, dangerously seductive". (And there's also a fantastic little section regarding Tom's thoughts on giving head...!! <3)

Basically, though the smut in this fic is hot & perfect & just so entirely them, the romance and deep feeling of it all is there too.

This fic always leaves me a little speechless with it's simple yet complex details.

I also always feel so inspired after I re-read it and am proud that this is what it's out there to represent the severely underrepresented ship that is Tom/Rob.

This fic showed me how to be descriptive but also simple. It taught me how to get inside a character's head and sus out all of their motives and why they are the way that they are.

It also gave me a different meaning on the topic of want and the deeper indications what that can all mean.

In conclusion, this story will forever and for always be important to me. If you wanna see my full review of the fic, go to the comment section on the story and you will see more!!!

Last but not least:

The fic is called Checkdown by Kieko Kirin (sakana17) and can read it here but you will need an AO3 account in order to access it, as it's locked from the general public for privacy reasons. <3 <3 <3

fuck it everyone tell me about one fanfic which has changed your brain chemistry

[lewisainz]

absolutely sobbing at that one post going around saying nfl rpf is disgusting harmful etc but then it's being circulated and praised by blogs who heavily engage with and/or write (insert athlete here) x female reader fanfic .... are you guys just saying words for the hell of it or are u seriously that dumb .....

[youngeditor1999]

Psssstttt...I decided to post the first four chapters of my new NFL RPF story...

[merrybloomwrites]

It's Just a Game, But Really

Summary: When your brother starts dating Taylor Swift, you figure your wild dreams of dating Harry Styles are now definitely crushed. But some meddling from Jason, Travis, and Taylor may make some dreams come true after all.

Word Count: 3K

AN: This idea randomly popped into my head months ago and I couldn't get it out until I fully wrote it. I feel like this falls into the category of "Crack treated seriously" lol

Also, I understand this is niche, but as an Eagles fan (pls don't come for me) I've watched the entire Travis/Taylor relationship unfold and just thought this would be silly. Writing Jason and Travis was pretty fun too since I've been listening to their podcast for years and it was a cool challenge to write in their voices

Finally, I took creative liberty here and while I normally try to keep details as close to reality as possible, I've changed some things. So the Packers vs Eagles game that happened in Brazil now takes place in philly, and the Chiefs game on Christmas is now against Baltimore so it would be plausible to have the dinner scene in PA. None of this actually matters, this is fiction lol

Title from "So High School" by Taylor Swift

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Growing up with two athletic brothers had been quite an experience. Hundreds of hours were spent at sporting events, often bundled up to watch them play ice hockey or attend the late season football games. In your family, it was important that everyone supported each other.

It went the other way as well. Your brothers attended every spring concert, theater performance, and dance recital you were in. They were your biggest fans, always cheering you on and bringing flowers to give you.

They also took time to learn about your interests. Instead of getting annoyed when Taylor Swift’s music would play through the house, they started listening.

Especially Travis.

He liked the music, and thought she seemed pretty cool. He didn’t admit it, but you guessed that maybe he had a bit of a celebrity crush on her.

Life continued to change as your brothers left for college, then moved to different cities when they got signed to two different NFL teams. You missed them, but it was great seeing them succeed.

Jason and Travis still made time for family, even when Jason got married and started a family of his own. You and Kylie became friends right away, and you immediately loved having another girl in the family. You couldn’t wait for it to be Travis’s turn to find someone. But preferably not through his dating show.

When Taylor Swift announced her Eras Tour, you desperately wanted to go. So you were highly disappointed when you weren’t able to get tickets.

And then Travis surprised you with tickets to her show in Kansas City. By this point you had moved in with Jason and Kylie near Philly, but Travis assured you that he’d take care of all the travel logistics to get you to the concert.

You flew in the night before, getting to spend the day with your brother before heading to the stadium. It was weird to be there for a concert, having attended numerous games there before. It was cool to see how it was transformed into something almost unrecognizable.

Being there with Travis meant getting to be seated with a great view in a cordoned off section. It also meant Chiefs fans coming close to the barrier to talk to him before the show. Watching your brother trade friendship bracelets with these people was a strange moment, one you never would have imagined happening.

Through all that, there was one bracelet he had that you noticed he wouldn’t trade. Taking a closer glance you see what’s written on it and give him a confused look.

“Travis, what in the world is this?” you ask.

“Friendship bracelet,” he answers simply, dodging your true question.

“Obviously. But why is your number on here? Who is this for?”

He laughs nervously but before you can press it further another fan comes up to say hi. You can’t help but wonder what his plan is for that bracelet, even though you have a pretty good idea who its intended recipient is.

The concert begins and you have a wonderful time, dancing and singing along, Travis just as excited beside you. As it ends, Travis speaks with one of the staff members, looking slightly disappointed but not too bothered. Once again you’re left wondering what that was all about.

It’s a couple weeks later and you’re listening to the latest episode of Travis and Jason’s podcast when they bring up Travis attending the concert. Sure enough, he confirms he was trying to get that bracelet with his number to Taylor, and you have to commend him on his creativity and optimism.

What you don’t expect is for Taylor to find out about that and get in touch with Travis. Now a year later, your brother is in a happy, committed relationship with Taylor Swift. She’s come to family dinners, you’ve been next to her during Chiefs games, and she’s made it so you could come to a number of concerts on her tour. You cannot believe that this has become your life. And you have to give your brother credit for his powers of manifestation.

One afternoon you’re hanging in the living room while Jason records the podcast in the basement. He calls out for you and you go down to see what’s going on.

He hands you a set of headphones so you can hear Travis as well, and fills you in on the topic.

“So,” Jason begins. “Fans are starting to give you credit for Travis and Taylor getting together. Do you think that’s fair to say?”

You laugh for a moment that this is why you’re called to speak on what should be a sports podcast, before answering, “I think that’s fair. I mean, he did the work but I would say my childhood Swiftie obsession planted the seed.”

Travis replies, “You don’t think I would have found out about her on my own?”

“Oh you totally would have. But I got the ball rolling ages ago. Timing is everything, what if you’d been too late?”

“Alright, I’ll give you that. We can say you had a hand in this.”

“So that means you owe me,” you say.

Jason chimes in, “Yea Trav, your turn to manifest for Y/N.”

“You want me to manifest a boyfriend for our little sister?” Travis questions.

“Oh, right, wait, don’t actually do that. I forgot, Y/N’s not allowed to date until she’s forty,” Jason says, leading you to roll your eyes at his overprotectiveness.

“Ok, but if I were to try, who would it be? Y/N, who’s your celebrity crush?” Travis asks.

There’s no way you’re answering that on camera, especially with who the answer actually is. You clench your teeth and lift your eyebrows before cheekily saying, “Oh, no, I cannot answer that on the pod. That’s uhm. That’d be messy.” You then shrug and laugh, trying to play all of this off as a bit.

While Travis tries to dig and get you to answer, it clicks for Jason and he says, “Wait, I think I know who it is. Is it, uhm-”

“Don’t you dare say anything!” you exclaim to shut him up.

“Alright, alright. I won’t spill your secrets.”

“Well at least tell it to me later,” Travis says, to which you reply, “Absolutely not. I’m afraid you may actually try to meddle.”

“Who, me? No way,” he replies only to be met with an unimpressed look from you.

The boys drop the subject and you head back upstairs as they finally talk about football again.

You assume that they’ve moved on, and you’re happy when they don’t bring up your celebrity crush again.

You’re even happier when Jason tells you he’s taking you to the season opener Eagles vs Packers game in Philly. You’re super excited to be able to experience an Eagles game alongside your brother. You’re also glad you can be there for him in case it’s hard for him to watch them play without him for the first time since his retirement.

What you’re unaware of is the plan that Jason and Travis had made behind your back.

“So now you’re on board with trying to set up our little sister?” Jason had questioned during a phone call a couple weeks prior.

“Yes. And I have a way of making it happen,” Travis had answered.

“And you want me to help Y/N meet and potentially date a popstar who happens to be your girlfriend's ex-boyfriend?”

“Yes.”

“And he’s a Packers fan?”

“Yea, that is the unfortunate part. And you’re not really helping them date. That’s all on them. But you could at least help her meet him at the game.”

“This is ridiculous,” Jason says. “But I’ll do it.”

And that’s how you find yourself walking through the tunnels of the Linc with Jason before the start of the game and bumping into Harry Styles.

“Hello, I’m Harry,” he says cheerfully, holding a hand out for you to shake.

Mustering up all of your chill, you smile in return while reaching out to clasp his hand and say, “I’m Y/N. It’s so nice to meet you, I’m a big fan.”

“Well, thank you for your support,” he says.

“You kids want a picture?” There are few times you want to kill your brother, but him butting in while you’re talking to Harry Styles is definitely one of them.

“That’s alright,” you say, trying not to impose on Harry too much. So you’re surprised when Harry says, “Of course, let’s get a photo!”

You stand next to him, and his arm wraps around your shoulder and you hope your expression doesn’t show how crazy fast your heart is beating while Jason takes the picture.

“It was so nice meeting you both, I’ll see you around!” Harry says as he walks away.

Before Jason can begin to tease you, you say, “Don’t even say a word.”

He listens to you and instead just laughs as you keep walking.

After some quick hellos to the stadium staff, you’re led up to a box.

“I thought we just had seats today?” You question.

“We did. But when I was talking to Mark he said we got upgraded.”

When you step into the box you’re once again surprised by the presence of Harry Styles.

“Okay, we are definitely in the wrong place,” you murmur to your brother.

“Oh good, you guys found us!” Harry says. You look to see who he’s talking to and get shocked to see it’s you and Jason. “There were some open spots so I asked if you two could join us,” he explains.

“Wow, thank you!” You manage to squeak out.

Suddenly you’re realizing what is about to happen. A four minute encounter in the hallway? Easy. An entire three hour football game? There’s no way you make it through without embarrassing yourself.

And yet, halftime comes and you’ve so far managed not to make a fool of yourself. In fact, you’re even impressed by your witty banter as the Eagles and Packers go back and forth taking the lead.

“So, I read about these botanical gardens nearby,” Harry says.

“Longwood?” You ask.

“Yea, have you ever been?”

“A couple times. I went with Jason, Kylie, and the kids earlier this summer. They’re really nice. If you’re thinking about going, I highly recommend.”

“I actually got a couple tickets for the fountain show tomorrow night. I was wondering if you���d like to go with me.”

Quickly processing that Harry is asking you to hang out with him, possibly go on a date with him, you reply, “I’d love to!”

“Fantastic! I can pick you up in the afternoon?”

“Sounds good to me, thank you.”

You exchange phone numbers and give Harry your address, still in disbelief that all of this is actually happening.

The game resumes, and as the Eagles make their comeback you can’t help but cheer and get wrapped up in the game. And even as Harry’s team starts losing, he still stays happy and continues to joke around with you.

When the game ends and the Eagles fans celebrate, you say to Harry, “I hope this doesn’t affect us hanging out tomorrow.”

“Not a chance, in fact I think that will cheer me up,” he says with a smile.

“Hey Y/N, I’ve gotta go talk to a couple people. You hanging here or coming with me?” Of course, there’s your brother interrupting again. And while you’d rather stay with Harry, you don't really want to be separated from Jason in the post-game chaos. So you say goodbye to Harry with the promise to see him the next day.

On your way back home you put up with the teasing from your brother.

You beg him to be on his best behavior when Harry picks you up the next day.

You know he won’t.

So it’s no surprise that he gives Harry “the talk”, telling him that if he hurts you at all then he’ll have to face two NFL players.

You’re hanging in the living room with Kylie and the kids while this happens, and when the two boys come back Kylie asks,”He wasn’t too scary, was he?”

“No,” Harry replies. “Just scary enough I’d say. Shall we get going?” He addresses this last question to you and you agree, more than happy to get out of the house before Jason takes his big brother role too seriously.

When Harry drives away he lets out a deep breath and you say, “You good?”

“Yea, just- Your brother is scary.”

You start to laugh at the fact that Jason managed to actually shake up Harry Styles. But you decide to help him out by saying, “He seems scary, but it’s mostly all talk. Unless you do something to hurt me. Then you should be scared.”

“Oh I feel so much better,” he says, laughing along now.

The two of you have a wonderful time together at the gardens, especially since Harry manages to somehow fly under the radar. The fountain show is fascinating, and you stand together, Harry’s arm around your waist sending butterflies through your belly.

It’s late when you get home, and he walks you to the door like a gentleman.

When he asks if he can kiss you, of course you say yes. He leans in for a soft kiss before saying goodnight, not leaving until you’ve made it safely inside.

Jason is waiting up for you, and as you tell him about your night you watch his gruff exterior fade away. He looks truly pleased by all you have to report and you’re glad that he seems to approve of Harry.

For the next couple of months, it all goes well. Your relationship with Harry flourishes. You get to see him more than expected since he starts working out of a studio in NYC, only two hours away from where you are.

There is one mild bump in the road, occurring on a Friday evening when Jason and Kylie are supposed to be out at a party with the girls.

You’d been planning on a quiet night home alone. But then Harry had surprised you by showing up at your front door, a bouquet of flowers in hand.

One thing led to another, and before you know it you’re both on the couch. You’re straddling his lap, his hands sliding under your shirt as the two of you make out.

As much as Harry had surprised you, Jason surprises you even more by suddenly coming home and walking right into the living room.

Harry notices him first, and in an effort to save this interaction he pushes you off of him, luckily managing to shift you to the open spot next to him on the couch.

There’s a moment of oppressively awkward silence as Jason stares at the two of you, speechless. Without saying a word he walks to the mud room and grabs the diaper bag that had clearly been left behind earlier.

As he passes through the room to leave he says, “You are adults. Just- don’t be stupid. There are enough kids in this house already.”

Without waiting for a reply he leaves the house. After another moment you and Harry break into nervous laughter.

The mood is pretty much ruined but you still have a nice night watching a movie together. Harry stays with you but has to leave at lunchtime the next day.

That afternoon Jason knocks on your bedroom door, asking if he can talk for a minute.

“Sure, what’s up?” You say, not expecting the conversation that follows.

“I just wanted to ask how things are going between you and Harry,” he says.

“Oh! Good! Yea, things are going well. I really like him,” you answer.

“And you’re being safe?”

“Oh my god, Jason! We are not having this conversation,” you say as your cheeks warm at the implication.

“Well you’re living in my house, I just, you know. I feel responsible for your well being.”

“I’m safe. Very safe. You don’t have to worry.” You hope your words will convince him to drop the topic.

“And you trust him? Cause I mean, he’s a big time Popstar. Bet he’s broken a fair number of hearts before.”

You find yourself needing to defend Harry and ask, “Have you had this conversation with Travis about Taylor?”

“Fair point,” he concedes. “I just don’t want you getting hurt. You’re sure about him?”

“I am.”

“Okay then. That’s what matters. I’m only looking out for you.”

“I know. But Harry and I are happy. I promise.”

With that smoothed over, the next few weeks continue drama free.

And then comes Christmas.

Due to scheduling, Harry had yet to meet Travis. You’ve talked to your brother about him, and you know Travis has talked about all of this with Taylor. So while you’ve been told that it’s no big deal that your boyfriend and your brother’s girlfriend are exes, you’re still a bit nervous for Christmas dinner.

It’s a late meal, since you have to wait for Travis to get there after the Chiefs vs Ravens game, and you spend the afternoon entertaining your nieces and helping prepare the food.

Finally Travis and Taylor arrive, and for a moment you can’t help but feel self conscious. The room is full of NFL players and international pop stars. You excuse yourself to the kitchen for a moment to collect yourself. When you walk back to the living room, Harry greets you with the biggest smile, and those feelings of self doubt melt away. Because those big accomplishments and accolades aren’t what matter to him. What he cares about is how kind you are, how fun and loving you are. He wraps an arm around your shoulders, pressing a kiss to your head and you blush knowing your whole family is watching.

But looking up at them you see nothing but support. Your mom is practically glowing seeing all her children with their significant others, and quickly organizes a family picture.

It takes some time to get all three of the little girls to cooperate, and by the time the photo is taken, dinner is ready.

There is something surreal at seeing Harry and Taylor pass the potatoes or bread basket, never having imagined this is how your life would turn out.

But that night, as you all agree to break the internet by posting the family picture, you know you wouldn’t want it any other way.

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AN: I wrote the first half of this as the Eagles lost to the Commanders, thus breaking a 10 game win streak soooo that was a bummer.

I wrote the ending after watching the Eagles beat the Cowboys, so at least that turned back around!

I think this may be the silliest thing I’ve ever written.

[cullenssweatyballsakk]

I have a special brand of autism that makes me want to know everything about fictional characters I'm obsessed with

Eventually I'll be giggling at my phone after asking some stupid shit like 'would Cullen be an NFL fan, or a NBA fan'

[hornyforherbert]

107,105,104,54,44,3

One of these or maybe 2 with Andrei iosivas???

How Did This Happen? ✧

WC: 2.4k or something like that

CW: Angst, Relationship, I think that’s it??

Prompt 3. “I Love You”, Prompt 44. “How Did This Happen?”

A/N: I’m sooo sorry this took so long I’ve had this request since early november i completely forgot about it half done in my drafts so i just finished it now, i apologize 😭😭

Just a reminder: THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION. I am not affiliated with Andrei Iosivas or the Cincinnati Bengals in any way.

Please don’t steal my work.

It was a bright Sunday morning in Andrei and I’s cozy house in the suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, enticing my senses as I prepared breakfast for Andrei and myself. He was finally living his childhood dream, as a wide receiver in the NFL for the Cincinnati Bengals, and I couldn't be prouder of him. I heard him coming down the stairs, his footsteps echoing through the hallway.

"Good morning, beautiful," Andrei greeted me with a warm smile, wrapping his arms around my waist and planting a kiss on my cheek. "What's for breakfast?"

I chuckled, feeling his strength and warmth against me. "Pancakes and bacon, your favorite," I replied, turning around to steal a quick kiss from his lips.

As we enjoyed our breakfast, Andrei shared his excitement about the upcoming game, . "I have a good feeling about today's game. I can't wait to show them what I've got," he said, his eyes sparkling with determination.

"I believe in you, Andrei. You're going to shine out there," I reassured him, placing my hand over his as we sat at the kitchen table. The love and pride I felt for him were immeasurable. Seeing him pursue his passion with such fire was truly inspiring.

As the afternoon approached, Andrei headed to the stadium for the game. I decided to surprise him by attending and cheering him on from the front row of the stands. The energy and excitement in the stadium were infectious, amplifying my anticipation for the match.

The game was intense, each play bringing a mixture of cheers and groans from the crowd. Suddenly, as the decisive play unfolded, Andrei leaped into the air, catching the winning touchdown pass with a stunning display of athleticism.

The stadium erupted in cheers, and I couldn't contain my excitement. "That's my man!" I screamed, my voice blending with the ecstatic roar of the crowd.

After the game, I eagerly made my way down to the field to congratulate Andrei. When I spotted him, a crowd of fans already surrounded him. He caught my eye and flashed a bright smile, making his way through the crowd to embrace me.

"You were amazing out there, Andrei!" I exclaimed, wrapping my arms around him. "I'm so proud of you!” "Thank you love" Andrei said, his eyes filled with joy. "I couldn't have done it without your support. You're my lucky charm."

We made our way back home, our spirits high as we joked and laughed, reliving the exhilarating moments of the game. As the evening approached, we settled in the living room, enjoying the warmth of each other's company.

"I'm so grateful to have you in my life, Y/N," Andrei whispered, his gaze filled with sincerity. "You make everything brighter."

I gazed into his eyes, feeling a rush of emotions overwhelming me. "I love you, Andrei," I confessed, my heart fluttering with love and contentment.

"I love you too," Andrei murmured, his voice filled with tenderness. Time seemed to stand still as we embraced, savoring the depth of our connection.

However, as the days passed, a cloud of unease crept into our lives. Andrei's hectic schedule and commitment to his career began to strain our time together. I missed having him by my side, sharing laughter and quiet moments.

One evening, as I prepared dinner, Andrei arrived home looking exhausted. I could sense the weight of his responsibilities weighing heavily on him. It pained me to see him so drained. ”How was your day, love?" I asked, setting the table for dinner as he slumped into a chair, his weariness palpable.

"It's been a long day, Y/N," Andrei sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I wish I could spend more time with you, but the team's demands are relentless."

I felt a pang of sadness at his words. "I understand, Andrei. I just miss being able to share more moments with you," I admitted, hoping he would understand my perspective.

The following weeks blurred into a routine, our interactions becoming brief and fleeting amidst Andrei's rigorous training and game schedule. I struggled with the growing distance between us, yearning for the closeness we once shared.

After a particularly grueling game, Andrei returned home, his expression weary and detached. I longed to comfort him, but his distant demeanor left me feeling helpless.

"Andrei, are you okay?" I asked, reaching out to touch his arm, hoping to bridge the emotional gap that seemed to form between us. "I'm just exhausted, Y/N," Andrei replied, his voice strained. "I need some time alone to unwind."

Despite my concern, I nodded, giving him the space he sought. As I headed to the bedroom, an unsettling feeling gnawed at me, prompting me to reflect on the changes in our relationship.

The following day, I decided to surprise Andrei with a romantic gesture to reignite the spark between us. I prepared a candlelit dinner and adorned the living room with flowers, hoping to convey the depth of my love for him.

When Andrei arrived home, he seemed surprised by the setup, but his response was not what I had anticipated. "I appreciate the effort, Y/N, but I'm really not in the mood for this," he stated, his tone distant and detached.

I felt the sting of disappointment pierce my heart. "I just wanted us to reconnect, Andrei. I miss us," I confessed, my voice trembling with vulnerability.

Andrei let out a sigh, his expression conflicted. "I'm going through a lot right now, Y/N. I need space to focus on my career," he explained, his words creating a painful chasm between us.

His words echoed in my mind, leaving me feeling adrift and alone. I struggled to comprehend the abrupt shift in our dynamic, the warmth and affection we once shared fading like a distant memory.

Days turned into weeks, and the emotional distance between us felt insurmountable. I spent countless nights immersed in a tempest of emotions, yearning for the love and connection that seemed to slip through my fingers.

One evening, as I sat in our living room, the weight of my unresolved emotions became unbearable. I heard the familiar sound of the front door opening, and I braced myself for Andrei's arrival.

"Andrei, we need to talk," I stated, my voice steady despite the turmoil brewing within me. "I can't continue like this. I miss the warmth and love we used to share."

Andrei sighed, his expression weary. "Y/N, I'm trying to focus on my career. It's a crucial time for me, and I need to prioritize my goals," he explained, his words only deepening the chasm between us.

"But what about us, Andrei? What about our love?" I pleaded, desperation coloring my voice as I grappled with the impending sense of loss. "I just need some space, Y/N," Andrei replied, his gaze haunted by the weight of his ambitions. "I hope you understand."

With a heavy heart, I watched him retreat to the bedroom, a sense of resignation settling over me. The unraveling of our once vibrant bond felt like a cruel twist of fate, leaving me adrift in a sea of heartache.

As the days passed, I found solace in the quiet corners of our home, grappling with the newfound solitude that enveloped me. Memories of our laughter and affection haunted the rooms, a bittersweet reminder of what was and what had slipped away.

One night, as I wandered through the darkened house, a sudden realization dawned upon me. I couldn't linger in the shadows of heartache. I needed to rediscover the light within myself, to find the strength to navigate the uncharted path ahead.

Determination sparked within me, and I made a decision to embark on a journey of self-discovery, to embrace the courage to carve a new beginning amidst the remnants of what once was.

With each passing day, I immersed myself in newfound passions and rediscovered the vibrant hues of life that had dimmed in the wake of heartbreak. I poured my heart into creative pursuits, letting the rhythm of my endeavors heal the shattered fragments within me.

As the seasons shifted, a sense of empowerment blossomed within me, propelling me toward a newfound sense of purpose and fulfillment. I reveled in the joy of unearthing the dormant layers of resilience and resilience buried within.

One radiant morning, as I immersed myself in the melody of a favorite song, the doorbell chimed, interrupting the tranquil cadence. I made my way to the door, a sense of curious anticipation sweeping through me.

To my surprise, a familiar figure stood before me, his eyes reflecting a blend of regret and longing. "Y/N, I've missed you," Andrei murmured, his voice tinged with a vulnerability I hadn't witnessed in so long.

Despite the tumult of emotions surging within me, I remained composed, absorbing his presence with a newfound sense of self-assuredness. "What brings you here, Andrei?" I inquired, refusing to let the echoes of the past cloud my resolve.

"I've realized how much I've missed the warmth and love we shared, Y/N," Andrei confessed, his voice laced with remorse. "I understand the distance I allowed to grow between us, and I want to make things right."

His words held a glimmer of hope, but I knew that mending the frayed threads of our past would require more than words. "Andrei, I've come to understand the depth of my own resilience and capacity for growth," I stated, my voice resonating with newfound clarity.

"I'm willing to work on us, but it has to be a partnership that honors the love and commitment we share," I continued, refusing to dim the radiance of my newfound strength for the comfort of familiarity.

Andrei nodded, his gaze filled with earnest determination. "I understand, Y/N. I want to embark on this journey of healing and growth with you," he affirmed, his words carrying the weight of sincere intention.

As we embarked on the path of reconciliation, we navigated the complexities of rebuilding what once stood fractured. Open communication and unwavering commitment became the foundation upon which we sought to mend the rift that had threatened to sever our love.

We shared moments of unearthing buried vulnerabilities, offered understanding and support, and embraced the intricacies of healing as individuals bound by a love that refused to waver.

With each passing day, our shared laughter and quiet moments wove a tapestry of renewal, breathing life into the love that had endured trials and emerged with a depth that surpassed the remnants of brokenness.

As the days embraced the embrace of a new season, our renewed bond blossomed with a vibrancy that mirrored the journey we had undertaken. The echoes of heartache dimmed in the wake of a love made unbreakable by the trials we had traversed.

One tranquil evening, as we sat on the patio, a sense of contentment enveloped us as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky with a tapestry of fiery hues. "How did this happen?" Andrei mused, his gaze reflecting the serenity that had settled within our hearts.

I smiled, savoring the warmth of our togetherness. "It took courage, resilience, and a love that refused to be confined by the shadows of the past," I replied, my voice tinged with gratitude for the journey that had led us to this tranquil moment.

As we basked in the quiet beauty of the evening, a sense of gratitude swelled within me, an acknowledgment of the love that had endured and the fortitude that had woven us together once more.

The following morning, as I prepared breakfast, Andrei entered the kitchen, his gaze filled with an unmistakable spark of excitement. "I love you," he declared, his voice resonating with an earnest ardor that reignited the flames of our shared love. I chuckled, feeling the warmth of his affection suffuse the air. "I love you too," I hummed, savoring the sweet melody of our rekindled love.

As the day unfurled, we reveled in the simple joys of shared moments, our laughter mingling with the gentle cadence of a love that had weathered storms and emerged unyielding.

As the weeks melded into a dance of cherished togetherness, I found myself immersed in the vibrant hues of a love imbued with a fortitude that had withstood the tests of time and tribulation.

One evening, as we strolled through the serene expanse of a nearby park, a sense of tranquility enveloped us, the tranquility of a love reborn and strengthened by the trials that had once threatened to extinguish its glow.

"I'm grateful for where we are now, Andrei," I murmured, my voice carrying the depth of my gratitude for the love that had found its way back to us.

"Me too, Y/N," Andrei echoed, his eyes reflecting the poignant beauty of our journey. "Our love is stronger than ever, and I cherish every moment with you."

In the embrace of our shared love, we reveled in the poignant beauty of a journey that had led us back to each other, a love revitalized by the fortitude that had refused to succumb to the pangs of heartache.

As the tranquil evenings unfolded into a symphony of cherished moments, our love thrived amidst the tapestry of shared laughter, tender gazes, and the quiet beauty of a bond strengthened by the resilience that had become our guiding light.

Amidst the quiet whispers of an evening bathed in the gentle glow of twilight, a joyous melody soared through our home, the sound of our shared laughter mingling with the vibrant strains of a love reborn from the ashes of past trials.

One tranquil Sunday morning, as sunlight illuminated the contours of our home, Andrei and I found ourselves enveloped in a dance of shared moments, the echoes of our laughter resonating with the radiance of a love revitalized by the fortitude that had led us back to each other.

“I'm grateful for the depth of our love, Y/N," Andrei whispered, his voice carrying the warmth of his affection for me.

"And I'm grateful for the resilience that has bound us together, Andrei," I murmured, savoring the poignant beauty of a love that had endured and emerged with a depth that transcended the echoes of heartache.

As the days embraced the embrace of a new season, we found ourselves immersed in the vibrant hues of a love that had been revitalized by the fortitude that had guided us back to each other, a love unyielding in the wake of past trials.

Amidst the tranquil expanse of our home, the gentle cadence of shared laughter, and the tender beauty of a love invigorated by the resilience that had become our guiding light, Andrei and I reveled in the depth of our shared bond, a bond unbreakable by the trials we had navigated.

[frontproofmedia]

Chiefs' Penalty Record: Exposing the Truth Behind NFL Favoritism Claims

Chiefs Penalty Analysis: Debunking the 'Special Treatment' Myth

By: Joseph Correa

In the passionate world of NFL fandom, perceptions can often overshadow reality. A persistent narrative has emerged in recent years: the Kansas City Chiefs, particularly their star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, receive preferential treatment from NFL officials. But does this claim stand up to scrutiny? Let's dive into the numbers and expert opinions to separate fact from fiction.

The Controversial No-Call

The debate reignited following a primetime game against the Atlanta Falcons, where Chiefs DB Bryan Cook appeared to commit pass interference against Falcons TE Kyle Pitts. The no-call sparked outrage among fans and reignited claims of favoritism. However, isolated incidents rarely tell the whole story.

By the Numbers

Let's take a look at the numbers. Since Mahomes took the helm in 2018, the Chiefs' penalty record paints a surprising picture:

Sixth Most Penalized Team: The Chiefs have accumulated 659 penalties, ranking them 6th in the NFL for most infractions.

Super Bowl Seasons:

2019 (SB LIV win): 18th most penalties (107)

2020 (SB LV loss): 4th most penalties (105)

2022 (SB LVII win): 87 offensive penalties

2023 (SB LVIII win): Tied for 6th most penalties (126)

Last Season: In 12 out of 17 games, the Chiefs were flagged more than their opponents, exceeding the league average.

The Mahomes Factor

Critics often point to Mahomes having the most interceptions overturned by penalties since 2018. However, context is crucial. As NFL analyst John Johnson explains, "Mahomes has attempted more passes than any other quarterback in that timeframe. It's a volume stat that doesn't necessarily indicate favoritism."

Expert Opinions

Dr. Sarah Thompson, a sports psychology professor at the University of Kansas, offers insight into the perception of favoritism: "Fans tend to remember controversial calls that benefit star players more vividly. This 'availability bias' can lead to a skewed perception of preferential treatment, even when the data suggests otherwise."

Former NFL referee Mike Davis adds, "In my experience, top players might get the benefit of the doubt in borderline situations, but that's true across all sports. It doesn't explain away the Chiefs' success or their penalty numbers."

The Chiefs' Perspective

In a recent press conference, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid addressed the controversy: "We focus on playing within the rules. Penalties are part of the game, and we've had our fair share. Our success comes from hard work and execution, not from any special treatment."

Conclusion

While the debate over officiating in the NFL is unlikely to subside, the numbers tell a compelling story. The Chiefs' penalty record suggests they're far from immune to flags, and their success under Mahomes appears to be a product of exceptional talent and coaching rather than favorable officiating.

As fans, it's natural to scrutinize every call, but looking at the bigger picture is equally important. The Chiefs' journey to the top of the NFL has been paved with penalties, challenges, and hard-fought victories – a testament to their resilience and skill in a league where nothing comes easy.

Featured Photo: Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images

[softpine]

I just remembered you haven't seen Twilight but I'm going to ask anyway! Do you know what teams your characters would be? Like team Edward or Team Jacob? Oh! Actually I'm also curious what Fandoms would they be in? I recent realized im a Bielieber

oh i have seen the first twilight movie!! i just wasn't a fan. but it was my best friend's favorite series so i do know a lot about it! was anyone actually team jacob? he's like gale in the hunger games. the only reason anyone would actually prefer them is because they're Not the main love interest (sorry to any galeheads out there...)

anyway now i want to imagine what fandoms each of them would be in, so:

🎭 caroline: well, she's a great artist and a monster fucker.. i don't think i have to spell out what she was doing online fjkjsdsj and she loved comic books as a kid, so i feel like at the start of the MCU madness she was really hype and then she got more and more angry with the state of things

💬 beth: she's written some star trek fanfiction more highly researched than her master's thesis and she loved nsync because what is a baby dyke without her emotional support boy band / comphet crushes

🎸 danny: music is the obvious answer, but i'm not familiar with musical history so i can't go into detail 😭 but his dad introduced him to bob dylan and taught him how to play guitar, then he learned piano, then he taught himself how to produce his own music from scratch. this was in the 90s btw so it wasn't very easy to learn. also he used to seriously follow skateboarding

⛅ mikaela: she loved old school country music from female artists like tanya tucker, reba mcintire, loretta lynn, etc. she's less interested in modern country but she looooves shania twain. and she's worked nights (first as a bartender, then a nurse) for most of her life, so she got really into daytime soaps

🌲 asa: he's literally the only one on this list where i'm like...... stumped. he doesn't pay attention to anything online, celebrities, music (he'll listen to whatever), movies (doesn't care), could never commit to watching a whole tv show, etc. he's very floaty and daydreamy? lmao he just doesn't have the headspace to get attached to fictional media like that

🎥 finn: we know he's always been a harrison ford fan boy and in any universe where he survives past the 80s he's a huge nirvana fan!! (if he and jules had a son, they would've named him kurt... he's deeply serious) he's also read every stephen king book that came out while he was alive. he was a big reader in general, particularly horror

🧸 stevie: canon seth rogen super fan, has seen every adam sandler movie (every last one of them) and i knowww she knows the fnaf lore... as soon as she finishes a show/movie she likes to find the weirdest fan art to terrorize her followers. also loves musicals and wants to see cats on broadway someday (a girl can dream)

🎀 elaine: she loves following celebrity news but she watches them like animals in the zoo; ie. she's observing from afar, she has no personal stake in them. she's a frequent flyer on gossip forums like fauxmoi. she was on the ground floor of lipstickgate and was SEATED for dramageddon. and she had a serious twilight phase

🎨 jada: SOMEONE on this list had to get assigned supernatural... i'm not saying it just to say it, i really think she would connect with (early seasons) sam what with the dead mom... fear of losing their humanity... having powers they don't understand... a hot girl manipulating them to use their abilities in sketchy ways... yeah. i'm sure she has favorite contemporary artists (painters specifically) that she'd be able to talk about on end but sadly i don't know anything about that world 😭 oh and she's kind of obsessed with hate-reading booktok books to feel alive

🏈 casper: sports count as fandoms and i don't want to hear a word about it!! his team is the patriots but he's kind of a fairweather fan (maine doesn't have an nfl team so he doesn't have that state loyalty factor). miley cyrus is his problematic fave forever but he's kind of a pop girlie in general

💋 coco: in high school she was a speedcuber if that gives you an idea of what we're working with here.... she grew up with pokemon, naruto, dragon ball z, she collected trading cards, etc. she still likes anime and video games and stuff, she just doesn't have the time to get invested like she used to, and it makes her sad because it reminds her of her late best friend liam. she makes time to play fortnite and minecraft with his little brother and she plays other games on twitch sometimes. has done a LOT of cosplay. she's a huge nerd basically

[joe9cool]

Collide- Epilogue 2- Lost in This Moment With You

A/N This is fan fiction purposes only. I do not know anyone on or associated with The Chargers. Also you do not have my permission to post my work anywhere else.

BREAKING: SARA WOZNIAK IS REPORTEDLY ENGAGED TO JUSTIN HERBERT!

ET EXCLUSIVE; SARA WOZNIAK IS ENGAGED TO NFL PRO JUSTIN HERBERT

Wedding bells are in the air for the [TV show] actress 28 and the Los Angeles Chargers Quarterback 26. The couple are engaged. People exclusively reported the news as the Academy Award nominee was spotted around LA wearing a sparkler on that finger.

A TIMELINE OF SARA WOZNIAK AND JUSTIN HERBERT'S RELATIONSHIP.

PATRICK HERBERT, JUSTIN HERBERT'S BROTHER COMMENTS ON SARA WOZNIAK ENGAGEMENT. "I'M VERY HAPPY FOR THEM."

There it was, the news now public. Justin and Sara had made the decision to go public with the news shortly after Sara's birthday. Both phones were blowing up like crazy, their management teams containing all of the press and requests for comments. Sara had begun wearing her ring in public, which was splashed all over tabloids as she walked the red carpet for the Royal Film Awards. People thought it was Sara's style, some thought it was ugly, others thought it was creative.

They were bombarded with packages from every designer, every venue far and wide, roses and expensive gifts from celeb brands and friends with personal boxes congratulating them. Some were cute, others were obnoxious and they had a laugh as they tore through them. There were even gifts for Eugene and Nova, as they made appearances on her social media.

The planning began, and they hired a low key wedding planner, someone who wasn't known for working with big celebrities.

They had a date set and stone.

May 24th 2025 in Oregon at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort.

It was gorgeous and overlooking the coast. It was to be a full wedding weekend, with rehearsal, then the wedding, then a brunch to send the couple off to their honeymoon.

With everything booked, and save the dates being sent out next week, Sara could breathe some sigh of relief. They were in Pittsburgh, along with Justin's family for their engagement party that her parents were throwing at their house.

There were people everywhere, all of their friends and families. While her fathers side had nobody (Willa and her family were cut off) her mom had many siblings, cousins and friends who had children that grew up with the girls. Her dad had his friends, his business associates and clients who got to know the family and watched Sara grow up.

It was funny, because Sara always faded into the background with these kinds of get-togethers, most people didn't really care. But now, all eyes were on her and Justin, and they were both uncomfortable, it was a classic case of being careful what you wish for.

Back in Oregon, Mark and Holly threw a casual barbecue get together with Justin's side. His buddies from Oregon came, and Sara found herself blending in with them all so well. She laughed at the jokes and old stories they told, and teased Justin making him bright red at times. Her family didn't come to that, and she was glad as she didn't want to overwhelm the Herbert family at their house.

But now, they were all in her territory. Patrick and Mitch and their girlfriends, eyes widened at the big house that sat on secluded acre land. "Oh my god." Sara groaned as Justin drove up on the pebble-stone driveway.

Big white balloons were tied to the mailbox. Flowers lined up the driveway. Pink roses, her favorite. Cars were already parked, which meant a ton of people. Guests were already on the side of the house underneath a tent. There was a bartender with a full bar. Patrick laughed as he saw more balloons of rings and 'she said yes' sign above the door. "Oh man, we are wayyy out of our element."

Once parked and out of the car, they walked into the house, where tons of people were chatting. A sign that was held on a canopy.

Celebrate two lives becoming one,

Welcome to Justin & Sara's Engagement Party.

"There's the bride and groom!" Her uncle shouted, and all eyes were on them. They were passed around in hugs. Next thing they knew they were wearing 'Bride' and 'Groom' sashes (Sara knew Justin would never hear the end of it from his brothers)

Cathy introduced the Herbert family to everyone and quickly, they understood why Sara stayed away.

"We never thought she was going to find someone!"

"Can't believe she is going to be getting married! When I saw she adopted her cat I told my husband we should start worrying."

The group all laughed and Justin was immediately uncomfortable. "So tell us, son." Another guy continued. "Why her? I mean professional athletes you could have supermodels! I don't understand it."

Justin had enough. "Well you don't have to understand anything. We love each other and she's the most beautiful woman inside and out. Now excuse me." He walked away from the group to find Sara, heading into the kitchen where he ran Into his mom and dad speaking with one of her cousins. Once she walked away they turned to her son. "Wow. Her extended family sure is…" Holly started.

"Interesting." Justin finished. Not wanting to really say what he was thinking.

"How on God's name is Sara so cool and she comes from a family like this?" Patrick walked up with Carly.

"Patrick!" Carly scolded.

"What? It's true." Pat shrugged. "It is. But we don't need to say it out loud." Carly took a sip of her drink.

"Did you know what her cousin just said to us?" Mark scoffed. "Boy aren't you glad that the bride's family is paying. You wouldn't be able to afford all of this." He mocked her voice. Everyone's eyes widened. "What?" Justin's face was stern.

"That's nothing. Isabelle is calming Mitch down after what one of the old wall street dudes said about Sara." Justin faced his younger brother. "What did he say?"

"Uh.. it should probably wait til we leave." Carly saw Justin's anger and hoped her boyfriend got the hint."

He didn't. "He made a disgusting comment about hoping Sara went with a form fitting dress, one that accentuated her… he said her gifted chest…" He trailed off, not wanting to totally repeat the gross comment about his future sister in law.

Justin's face was red. "Point him out. I want to talk to him." Mark grabbed him. "Son now is not the time or place. Let's just get through this evening."

"Hey guys! Having fun?" Sara walked up to the group,and instantly everyone could see Justin look relaxed. She looked gorgeous, in a white jumpsuit with white lace heels. Her hair was styled to perfection. Justin squeezed her hand. "Yes babe, everything is great."

"Oh there they are! The bride and groom to be!" Two middle aged women walked up and hugged Sara. "Linda, Delilah, this is my fiance Justin, his parents Mark and Holly and his brother Patrick and his girlfriend Carly. Where's Mitch and Isabelle?" She looked around. "I Guess they are around somewhere, but these are my mom's friends."

"Congratulations baby girl!"  The two ladies smiled, then addressed the others. "We watched her grow up. To be honest, we thought she would never find someone!"

Justin bit his lip, this was the theme of the night. Everyone just loved to mention how they thought it was impossible for Sara to find someone. Sara just smiled. "Yeah that's what everyone has been saying."

"I mean, can you blame us?" They laughed, while the Herbert family stayed quiet. "So anyways. Where are you having the wedding? Mansions in the fifth are beautiful for weddings. Or are you thinking of New York like Ryan and Michelle?"

Sara smiled. "Actually. We are getting married in Oregon, at the golf course hotel off the coast" She looked up at Justin, who smiled down at her.

The one wrinkled her nose. "Sweetie, not there, Oregon is so redneck, and just not it. Trust me, you cannot have a nice wedding in Oreg-"

"Justin and his family live in Eugene." Sara bit back. Linda's eyes widened. "Oh really? Wow I'm so sorry. Well I'm sure it's beautiful if you live there." She covered up her insult with another insult. She then changed topics. "I see you haven't eaten."

"Oh I'm going to make a plate, I've been running around greeting everyone-"

"Well that's a good thing. You need as much weight off as you can to fit in the dress. I can actually give you the name of Macy's trainer, she will make you the thinnest you have ever been!" She pinched Sara's arm. "Tone up those arms!"

"Linda! Delilah! Can you help me with something?" Cathy called over her friends and they left. Holly addressed Sara. "Are you okay?"

Sara shook her head. "Yeah why do you ask?" Justin put his arms on her shoulders.  Mark cut in. "Those comments they made, and everyone else."

"Oh those! Yeah trust me I got used to it. I've heard shit like that my whole life." She grabbed a champagne flute off a waiter's tray. "If they say anything to you. Please let me know. I'll put them in their place."

Mark shook his head. "You shouldn't have to deal with that."

She waved her hand. "It's fine. Why do you think we chose Bandon Dunes?" She looked at Justin and he smiled at her. "The max is 190 people, but we will probably only have 100. Keep it close to family and friends."

"Have you two chosen the bridal party yet?" Holly asked.

"Yes, it's going to be 8 people on both sides. Our ask boxes are done, we just need to hand them out." Justin looked at Pat, "You and Mitch are obviously my best men."

Before they could say anything else Cathy yelled for the family to join in pictures. They had a professional photographer gather both immediate family and their partners, gathered under the big balloon arch. Then it was Sara's side, then Justin's then just the soon to be married couple and their parents. Once that was done Justin was pulled to have a celebratory cigar with Mike and his friends/business partners, while Sara was in the kitchen with her mom and sisters.

"So you guys settled on a venue? In Oregon." Sara didn't miss the tone of disappointment in her moms voice. She knew that it bothered Cathy that her youngest became closer to her fiance's side of the family. Sara popped a grape from the table in her mouth. "Yes, it's more low-key, and it's on a golf course. Plus it will be more convenient for Justin's family."

The Wozniak's had a ton of money, whereas the Herbert's were just a middle class family. So Sara wanted to be more accommodating to his family. Plus she was hoping it would deter a lot of friends and family from coming. She wanted to enjoy her day, Katie and Brittany spent most of their time going around and talking to people and thanking them. Alyssa had a small Vineyard wedding and got to enjoy her day.

That was what she wanted.

"There are so many gorgeous golf courses and hotels around the area. With all your connections and us paying for it. We could easily have four hundred people." Sara practically choked on her drink. "Yeah… uh that sounds terrible. But also mom, me and Justin can pay for our wedding."

"There's no doubt about that… but we didn't pay for your college.." She trailed off and everyone knew what she meant.

"It's fine. I got this. The venue is booked, I'm meeting with Valentino to design my dress. Justin and I have our bridal party picked. Our wedding planner is set. Easy peasy."

Brent walked up, hearing the last of the conversation. "Oh you naive fool." He kissed his sister in law on the cheek. "Sorry I'm late, you look gorgeous." He held up a bridal gift bag. "I'll set this on the massive gift pile in the dining room."

Sara was shocked. "I thought I said no gifts!" She followed Brent to the dining room and gasped as she saw the massive pile of perfectly wrapped presents, bags, and envelopes covering the massive table.

Brent snorted. "These people never listen. Any chance they can to flex their money they will." He laughed as he looked over the pile. "Damn I see a Waterford Crystal bag. Alyssa and I didn't even get that."

She laughed. She loved Brent, and Justin got along with him well, so well that he planned on asking the hockey player to be in his party.

—-----------------------------------------------------------------

Mike passed around Cigars to the group of trustees or whatever they were. Mark and Mitch were there, Mark taking one Justin and Mitch refused. He wasn't a smoker, it was way too toxic. Luckily Mike didn't press the issue. "Isn't Cathy going to be upset?" Justin raised his brows as he watched the group light theirs. Mike shrugged. "What Cathy doesn't know won't hurt her, besides I've done this with all of my daughters' weddings."

Charles walked up and took one of the cigars from the box on the patio furniture. Overlooking the crowd, one of the men spoke up. "Thought we'd never see the day Mike. I always thought Alyssa was the last one."

Mike nodded. "Believe me I thought that too." He clapped Justin on the back. "You sure you can handle her son?"

Justin laughed. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't love her."

"I'm glad. She deserves someone like you." Mike took a puff.

Another older, pudgy man cut in. "See my son over there?" Justin followed his finger to see a man in his thirties, scowling at Sara, who was a few tables over talking to her friends "He has the biggest crush on her. I tried to set them up but your daughter wasn't interested."

Justin's turn to scowl. How inappropriate was that to say in front of her fiancé? Suddenly he remembered Sara talking about a man hitting on her and attempting to set her up with his kid. Was this the guy from the steakhouse?

Mike shook his head. "Oh for the love of God let it go. You have been trying to set them up since they were teenagers. She doesn't want your son. They were interrupted by someone calling for Mike and he excused himself.

After a few minutes of silence the pudgy man kept talking. "You're a lucky son of bitch Justin."

His eyebrows rose. "I know." He spoke icily. He was hoping the man dropped it after that.

"The way she's going to fill out that dress is gonna be the main attraction for sure."

Maybe it was the fact that this dude knew Sara as a small child and was now saying inappropriate things about her, maybe it was the alcohol, or the fact that all afternoon he has to listen to the love of his life get cut up and made fun of and he finally snapped.

Before anyone could say anything, Justin was in the guy's face. Everyone around was frozen in fear. "Listen." He spoke slowly. "You will never get to see how MY WIFE looks on her day because you and your son won't be invited, and if you say one more comment about her I will throw you over this porch. I don't give a fuck if youre my father in laws associates. In fact I think he wouldn't take very kindly to you talking about his daughter like that, or the night at the steakhouse. Understood?" The older man's eyes widened, confirming he was the steakhouse guy.

The man, terrified, nodded. "Um yes. Umm I think me and Jonathan should go. Congratulations again." He walked off to gather his wife and son. Justin turned to the other men who had looks of shock on their faces. "That goes for all of you too. Understood?" They all nodded and went their separate ways besides Mark and Mitch. Justin was breathing heavily and Mark went to comfort him. "Good job son, that guy was an ass."

"Is everything okay?" They all looked to see Sara coming up the steps, looking worried as she approached Justin. "Gerald and Jonathan just came up to me asking what I saw in you?"

He saw red. Quickly turning, he went to find him but was held back by Sara, or as much as she could. "Hey hey baby what's wrong?" She got in front of him and stared at him with her big brown eyes and he felt himself melt. Bending down to kiss her, he blushed when the cheers of the crowd that had gathered around them.

"Awww that's so cute!"

"Practicing for the big day I see!"

—-------------------------------------------------------------------

"You both look gorgeous!" Pierpaolo greeted Sara and grabbed her hand to admire the ring. "Stunning. It fits you so well, and with the emeralds!" He looked at Justin. "You sir, did an excellent job!"

He blushed. "My brother's girlfriend helped a lot, I just knew I had to incorporate emeralds somehow."

The designer hummed. "Are the wedding bands going to have them too?"

"We were talking about it. We had a virtual consultation with the jeweler about the bands." Sara cut in.

"You can tell us all about it, come on! We have a lot of people wanting to celebrate with you!" He ushered the couple to the backyard of his massive mansion. Once the Pittsburgh celebration was over, Pierpaolo and his family insisted on a luncheon to celebrate their engagement.

Of course Sara insisted he keep it small, but designers never listened, and all of Sara's celeb friends, as well as others who just wanted it to be there for a social event were there.

Sara sensed Justin's anxiousness and grabbed his hand as they made it out to the backyard. They were dressed for the occasion, with Sara wearing a white halter dress mixed with green that Valentino designed, the straps made up of diamonds. Her hair was done up and she looked gorgeous. Justin looked handsome as well in a tailored suit.

They were met with tons of greetings from Timothee, Rosie and Jason, AnnSophie, Bella, and others. There were about fifty people, and it seemed small and intimate. Everyone mingled, and then they all sat down for a four course meal. While enjoying their meal Rosie spoke. "So I was doing a cover shoot for vogue and I overheard something from Anna."

Pierpaolo gasped. "You know Anna would blacklist you if she heard you speaking about confidential matters."

She waved her hand, "Please. But anyways, Anna wants to do a massive vogue feature on your wedding!"

Sara's eyes widened while Justin nearly choked on his wine. "Oh wow. That's amazing. I will definitely have to consider it."

"What's there to consider? Do you know how many people would love that! Plus they would set you up big. You know Anna, she would make sure that you have the best venue. Beverly Hills has the best hotel for weddings. It hosts for 500 people, plus Wolfgang Puck would cater."

Sara pushed her salad around. "I mean, we have already decided to get married in Justin’s home state, more private and lowkey."

"Well I suppose Anna could do something with that. You're from Washington right? She acknowledged Justin.

"Oregon, actually."

"Ooh that's different, I've never been there before, so Jason and I will have fun exploring when we arrive. Justin's eyebrows shot up. He glanced briefly at Sara, who was trying to hold back a small laugh. "Yeah its beautiful."

The rest of the night went by smoothly. Finally they departed, using Justin’s excuse to get ready for camp. Pierpaolo assistants loaded their car with gifts from the guest. Apparently no one liked to listen

When they got home, they tacked on the boxes in the guest room (they still haven't opened the ones from Pittsburgh, but Sara sent out thank you notes)

Justin looked over at Sara, "I'm off tomorrow before camp starts, should we tear these babies open?" Not saying a word, she walked over to the fridge and opened it. She held up a bottle of their favorite wine. "We need some encouragement to open these, especially from my family."

Taking sips straight from the bottle, Justin grabbed all of the gifts from the guest bed and began to open them. They opened the cards first and were pleased to see that whoever gave money to local charities in their honor.

The first box was wrapped delicately and while all of them were most likely professionally wrapped, there was a homey touch to this and Sara squealed knowing exactly who this was from. It was from her Great Aunt Kay, who at the age of ninety, still had a very sharp mind and could quilt with the best of them. All of the nieces that married were given a king sized quilt made by her, showing their personalities. They opened it and unfolded the custom quilt. It was white, with silver edges and in cursive at one corner, Justin and Sara Herbert.

"Wow." Justin whispered, feeling the luxurious material. He had met her Aunt Kay at the engagement party, and she was the sweetest lady. "This is beautiful." Taking it from Sara, he draped it over their bed before returning back to the pile where Eugene and Nova were inspecting to see if any of the gifts were for them. "Spoiled brats." Sara shooed them away, only for them to come straight back.

Justin grabbed the next gift, which was very oddly shaped and untied the bow, opening the purple wrapping, it was a gift basket that someone had put together.

Candles, crystals, prenatal vitamins, and pregnancy tests? "uhh" He turned it to face his fiancé, whose eyes widened. "Oh my god that's from my cousin Siobhan! She's a doula and very into all that! She gave my sister's one! It's all good luck with fertility!" She shook her head, "all of the women on my moms side including my sisters have gotten pregnant in the first six months! It's something of a weird tradition."

He laughed and tore the clear wrapping to get a better look at everything. He looked at the crystals as she explained each one relating to pregnancy and childbirth. "I didn't know you were into crystals"

She shrugged. "I mean I'm not an avid believer, but I think there is some truth, and she constantly talks about them all the time." There were two boxes of clearblue pregnancy tests, a small gray bear, and two candles as well as pregnancy booklets.

"Yeah those are definitely going in storage. We agreed on no kids until at least the first year." He nodded and put it off to the side before continuing.

There were household items, which was silly because living together they had pretty much acquired everything. Sara unboxed a big sign that read 'The Herbert's' established 2025. She giggled as Justin rolled his eyes at the corny item. Sara opened a grill kit followed by a voucher for a cooking class. Justin frowned. "You're a great cook." She laughed. "I think it's a case of something we can both do." Along the lines there were a ton of marriage books, cook books. Sara blushed as she pulled out tons of lingerie and skimpy night shirts, Justin examining every piece. "Oh my god!" She cried out pulling out a powder blue lace baby doll piece. It was completely see through, and the underwear was like a jersey with 'Herbert' and '10' on the butt.

He hummed as Sara held it up to her. "I'm definitely tearing that off. Matter of fact I think you should model it right now, make sure everything fits." He smiled. "If it doesn't I can rip it right now." He laughed as he dodged the balled up wrapping paper she threw at him.

After everything from her family and friends were opened they moved on to the small boxes from celebrities. Immediately Justin was floored. "Rolex watches? Who the fuck gives Rolex watches as an engagement gift."

Sara laughed. "Hollywood does." She opened a crystal vase, no doubt very expensive.

There was a grand total of at least $500,000 in gifts and despite being with Sara two years, he wasn't used to it. He almost fainted when Sara took him to meet Christopher Nolan.

Justin opened the last gift, which was a PR package. "Hell yes!" It was tons of Nike clothing, which included matching Bride and Groom Nike sweats for him and Sara. "This is awesome! I'll wear this on our wedding day!"

"You wear that at the altar and I'll walk backwards."

—--------------------------------------------------------------

Wedding planning was no joke.

It was October, and Justin was on a high professionally. The Chargers were ahead of the  Chiefs in the division, thanks to the win against them on the road.

However, personally, he was very worried.

Sara was working on promotional events, followed by wedding planning. He tried to help as much as he could by picking out the place settings (he didn't even know that was a thing) food. (Some people were vegetarian/vegan, others had dietary restrictions.) They finalized the dessert buffet and picked out the cake and the flavors.

He knew that her family was giving her a hard time about the location. They were worried her Aunt Kay wouldn't be able to travel to the west coast and in the midst of an argument with one of her sisters they called her selfish which left her in tears. (Justin had a mind to fly to Pittsburgh and give them a piece of his mind)

Then there was the issue of the officiant. Justin wasn't tied to any denomination, but Sara was technically raised catholic and made all of her sacraments, so they wanted her to be married in a church. That meant Justin would have to take classes and be baptized, and he would be willing to do it, but with the demands of the season it would mean punishing the whole wedding back a year. Something both he and his fiance didn't want.

The biggest upset was that Sara was in Cannes promoting a new film she was in. On an off day she went diving with some friends and was wearing a bikini.

There were pictures, and edited ones to make her look bad to the press. The comments calling her fat, her social media comments had to be limited, and she had to take a break.

Not to mention Taylor was taking joy in this She was throwing subtle shade at Sara in every way, so much so that there were news articles written about it.

She wore similar outfits that Sara wore and put shady captions, and liked comments that were trashing her. Justin wasn't stupid, he knew that got to her. While they were very much past it, it still hurt her to see her being attacked so lowly.

When he confronted his fiancé, she laughed it off, saying she had the ring and she was nothing but a jealous bitch. He knew her like the back of his hand. Not to mention her actions spoke otherwise.  

When she wasn't away she was constantly in the Chargers gym working out, she would come with him early in the morning and be a sweating, panting mess by the time he would check in on her.

It was so noticeable that a trainer pulled him aside. "We need to talk about Sara…." He started. "I know this is probably not my place, but she is overexerting herself. She got off the treadmill today and she nearly collapsed. I gave her a Gatorade but she refused, saying it's too much sugar."

"Oh my god." Justin walked by him and off the field, and quickly found one of the rooms, where Sara was hunched over, seemingly struggling to breathe.

He called out for help, and got down on his knees. "Baby. What's wrong?" The team doctor was there immediately and got Sara to sit up. He shined a light in her eyes before pinching the skin on her arm. "She's dehydrated, not enough electrolytes." The doctor shook his head. "We got to get you into the room so I can start an IV. Can you walk?"

She nodded, still breathing heavily before standing up for a second and falling back, immediately Justin lifted her in his arms and carried her to the recovery room, where the doctor started an IV. "Have you eaten today?"

She nodded. "I had a hard boiled egg and some avocado toast" the doctor shook his head, and the trainer spoke. "She's been on the stairmaster for an hour."

Justin's eyes widened. "Babe!" He looked over at her, who looked down "that is enough for that much workout. You know how I eat "

"I'm sorry, okay! Me and all of the bridesmaids got measurements this Wednesday for our dresses! I wanna look good."

"And you will! Sara I'm still going to be at the end of the aisle no matter what!" He shook his head. "Please, If you want to tone up that's fine. But this way isn't healthy and you know it."

At this point it was just the two of them in the room. She looked down. "I'm sorry, I'm just stressed. Everyone and everything is coming down on me, and work too."

"I'm sorry I haven't been around to help." She sighed. "It's not you, you have been more involved than most men, and you've been taking care of everything on your side with the groomsmen. I really didn't know what I was up against."

"What is the final count with the guest list?"

"Two hundred and fifteen people." Sorting out the list was hard. Justin's family was pretty decent sized. Sara didn't have too many family, but she did have friends, and so did he, plus Mike and Cathy did get to invite a couple family friends who Sara actually liked. They invited Jerry and his wife, both management teams, some of Justin's teammates and coaches and other people from the celebrity world. He snorted. "We can only hope many people don't come."

She laughed and he smiled, before kissing her quickly. "I'm taking you home" and then when I get off I'll bring home dinner. What do you want?"

"Salad sounds good." He gave her a look. He also knew she was dieting like crazy, when he noticed the absence of certain foods in the house. She sighed. "A burger and fries please. With a side salad."

He smiled. "There's my girl." I'll be right back

@DanielPopper: Herbert was called off of the field for a bit. He's back on now, maybe had something to do with his fiance, who I'm told has been coming to practices.

@user1: sounds excessive

@user2: why is she even there? So worried your man is going to cheat?

@user3: @user 2 Maybe she just wanted to spend time with him?

@user4: I don't understand why he chose her over Biscotti.

Liked by Taylor biscotti

—----------------------------------------------------------

"Doesn't she have a man? Why is she still so concerned with yours?" AnnSophie was helping taste test some of the food. The hotel, excited to host a marriage for the King of the state and his a list bride, where more than accommodating. Allowing them to bring in their own chef and catering for the day and shutting down the hotel for the weekend. Sara and Justin paid a decent price and would make sure to tip and send a thank you note to all the staff when it was all said and done.

"I don't know." Sara took a bite of the mushroom soup as one of the starters. "Ooh Annie this one is soo good!"  Her friend stuck her fork into the bowl and tasted it. "That is delicious. Does Justin like mushrooms?" Sara made a face. "I think so.." shooting a quick text to her fiance, she sighed. "I swear we should have eloped like you guys."

Her friend laughed, "Once the hoopla and the shock dies down its worth it. My mom's still pissed though." Sara rolled her eyes. "Yeah but your mom is a bitch and never liked Joey and tried to keep you guys apart."

"True." Sara's phone dinged and she picked it up. Reading the message, she wrinkled her nose. "Justin said no mushroom soup. He likes chicken noodles."

"How about you put the menu choices on the invitations? Let the guests decide?"

"And what If they don't mark anything?" Her friend shrugged. "Then they get what they get." Sara's phone dinged again and she grabbed it. "Oh it's Bella sending me a photo of her dress!" For the bridesmaids Valentino made sure they were done first and quickly. Sara chose sage green, satin material, and a loose, comfortable fit. They were beautiful, and so far the bridesmaids loved them. She was a little worried for her sisters and Isabelle, who had to send in their measurements because they were on the east coast. But Pierpaolo was a genius, and every girl looked gorgeous in their gown.

"So what is the timeline for the ceremony?" Sara was marking stuff down to send to catering. "Well, our ceremony is at 3:00pm. Give people and us enough time to get ready and take pictures, then cocktail hour is 3:30ish, then the reception starts at 4:30-9pm, then the after party begins at 9:15pm" She smiled devilishly. She wanted a few hours of debauchery with their friends and to play whatever music she wanted. "Get this, it's gonna be somewhat of a throwback 2010s emo party."

"No fucking way!" AnnSophie's eyes widened. "That's so cool!" Sara nodded. "And best believe me, I'm dancing on Justin."

"Girl he is going to be so red!" She nodded evilly. "I'm twerking on him for sure!"

—-------------------------------------------------------------

"So your mom sent me a copy of the vows she wanted the minister to read." Justin got into bed after a long day. Sara looked up from her IPad. "Oh god." She rolled her eyes and pet Nova, who was laying on her stomach. "I told her I didn't want a catholic ceremony. You know how long those are? An hour! Not to mention there is nothing personal about the couple! It's the same Bible verses and music! And my heels are sky high! I'm not standing that long!"

He laughed before pulling the text up on his phone. "I told her the ceremony is about thirty minutes, and we need the time for our vows. She wasn't too happy about that. But here it is." He gave her his phone and she read it, her nose wrinkling. "What's up?"

"For you it says 'love and honor you' , for me it says 'love, honor, and obey.' I'm not obeying shit, I don't even obey my dad." Justin busted out laughing. "You were sure to obey last week." He nuzzled his face in her neck and knew she was red.

"Well I'll just tell everyone I'm only obeying in the bedroom." He pulled back. "You wouldn't."

She laughed. "Watch me."  He growled and bit a spot on her neck and she squealed. "You know the week of the wedding you cant leave any bites"

He huffed. "What's the point of a fancy expensive makeup artist then?" She swatted at him. "Have you gotten the suits?"

"Yes. What about the bridesmaid dresses?"

She nodded. "They all pretty much have theirs, I'm going to New York next week with my mom, Katie, and Brittany  for the first dress fitting." She smiled. "I'm excited. I trust Pierpaolo with my vision."

"Can I get a peak?" She looked at him like he had four heads. "Absolutely not. You don't get to see my dress until the day." He huffed and she laughed. He tried a different tactic, snuggling into her neck. "Please." He whispered before kissing her neck. She moaned as he dragged his lips to a particular spot he knew she lined. "Just at least tell me some hints"

She needed a few minutes to get her thoughts together but then finally spoke. "It's A- line style, lace" He stopped and sat up. "I have to Google it." He admitted and she busted out laughing. "Baby please wait until the first look. I promise it will be worth the wait."

He smiled. "You always look good. So I'm extremely excited."

—---------------------------------------------------------------------

"Oh Sara" Cathy gasped as Sara came out of the dressing room and stepped up on the platform, the assistant carrying the cathedral train. "God it feels so real seeing you in the dress." Brittany wiped her eyes, Katie was holding the phone as Alyssa was on facetime back in St.Louis.

Upon looking at herself in the mirror, it did feel real. Standing in the dress she would be wearing as both parents walked her down the aisle. Sara found herself getting emotional as this was the dress she always pictured herself in. It was simple, not too much for an outdoor ceremony by the coast. It was off the shoulder, hiding her broadness, it had a slight train and Pierpaolo suggested a long, cathedral lace veil.

It was a-line, like she wanted, not too puffy, but enough to give her the princess feel and still flatter her shape. "Now how are we doing the hair?" The assistant asked as she fluffed the train. Sara thought about it. "I honestly don't know, I have a hair trial tomorrow with Jonathan." Jonathan Van Ross was one of Sara's friends who offered his services for the wedding. "He thinks I should do a half up, half down thing. Like Kate Middleton"

Her mom cut in. "I still think we should do a soft updo. Sara sighed. "Well we will see tomorrow, don't forget to visit the jeweler for the wedding pieces, and the florist for the flowers and bouquets."

Once the appointment was finished, and the assistant made the final markings of where it needed to be tailored and with the custom made sky high heels Sara was in (she needed all the height standing next to Justin at the altar) Sara and her mom and sisters were walking the streets of New York. It was still early morning, so many people were on their way to work and couldn't stop and notice the famous celebrity bundled up in the chilly air.

The shrill ring of her phone began playing, and Sara looked to see it was Vogue's office, she sighed and answered. "Hello?"

"Hello Ms. Wozniak, I am the personal assistant to Anna Wintour, and she requested you and your family's presence at her brownstone for lunch this afternoon." Sara's eyes widened. Stopping to look back at her group, she put her hand on the mouth piece. "Anna Wintour wants us to have lunch with her later at her place."

"What!" Even after almost ten years of their sister being famous they were still in awe of the megastar she was. Who just gets invited to The editor of vogue's house on a whim? They nodded and she went back to her phone. "Yes, we accept. Um, what time should we be there?"

"Anna will send a car for you all to the hotel at noon." Okay so they had three hours. She didn't know how Anna knew they were all in town or what hotel they were at. Probably someone from the Valentino team tipped her off.

Window shopping was limited, but they managed to make it back to their hotel and be ready by the time the limo arrived. They walked to the car amid all the photographers outside, and their cars following them.

They were ushered inside the massive brownstone. Servants were walking briskly and carrying trays. "Wow." Katie whispered.

Upon walking into the living room, there were greeted by Anna herself, always fashionable and looking like she belonged in vogue herself. After exchanging greetings, they were relocated in the dining room. Anna immediately began asking Sara about wedding planning.

Sara cringed inside as the food was being placed in front of them. Lemon arugula salad and champagne for the first course. She now knew why Anna called her up at the last minute and insisted she and her family come.

She turned down the vogue offer shortly after Rosie mentioned overhearing the news. An extravagant, luxurious box came in the mail. It was a spa package for her and Justin, full of the most expensive facials and massage treatments from around the world. "What the hell is a gold facial?" Justin asked when reading the description, his eyes widened at the price he looked up. "Worth $500,000!"

Sara had wanted to send it back, but Heidi strongly advised against it, saying. "You can turn down the front cover offer, but you NEVER ever return a girl sent front Vogue or Anna herself. You will get blacklisted from all fashion shows." Thankfully Heidi worked in fashion PR before working for celebs.

She had hand written a note to Anna appreciating the offer and the gift, but at this time she would have to decline. Word spread around the fashion world and the press fast, and while many people praised Sara for wanting a private wedding and not wanting it splashed everywhere, others critiqued her for thinking people cared that much. They called her an entitled bitch, and Justin didn't escape critics. They blamed him for her changing herself. (Which was ridiculous, Sara was always a private person before him) but then NFL critics came after him, this was no surprise, as many people came after him, Bosa, and even Josh Allen, who was engaged to Hailee Steinfeld one of Sara's friends, of trying to be the next Brady.

It was ridiculous, and stupid. Sara wasn't going to be totally private. She understood that guests were going to take and share pictures, and she was fine with that, but she didn't want a whole spread and sell pictures for money and all that.

For some reason Anna didn't get that. "I love the fact that you're including so much of your fiancé's hometown in there. I must say, we never covered a celebrity wedding in Oregon."

And you won't Sara wanted to bite back, but she knew she had to be careful and respectful. Though she was an A list celebrity whose new film was getting Oscar buzz, Anna still had so much power and influence over the biggest connections, so she had to tread lightly. She wished Heidi was here, or someone from her team but this wasn't meant to be a business trip in any way. Anna knew that, so this was an opportunity to catch the star at a vulnerable moment.

Anna continued. "I can just see it now, you in your dress, and your fiancé, looking so handsome, posing overlooking the ocean with fireworks."

Sara took a sip of her cocktail waiting for her to continue, beside her, her mom and sisters were uncomfortable. It was clear that Anna had no plans to address them at all. The editor continued. "We can make the arrangement work. Although when we came to you back in July, we could have booked the Villa Pozzolo in Italy, seating over three hundred people."

"While that was much appreciated, Justin and I are sorta keeping it towards friends and family. We just want to be surrounded by people we know and love."

Anna hummed while taking a sip of her tea. "I noticed you haven't taken a bite of the food." Sara looked down at her plate. She had only taken a few bites while others had eaten. It was probably all of the knots in her stomach. "I'm not really an arugula person." Out of nowhere plates were taken away and replaced with a small cup of soup. "I kept the portions small. You look so good with your weight loss. I don't want to destroy your diet and force Pierpaolo to make all of these changes. Your dress is too gorgeous to make last minute alterations." How the fuck did she know what her dress looked like? "It is beautiful, exactly what  I wanted." Sara smiled.

"And just think, one of our photographers would capture every angle beautifully. Plus a full spread. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity."

"And I acknowledge that, and I'm super honored for thinking of us, but we want this day to be about us celebrating with friends and family. Plus there are so many people attending that would not feel comfortable by all of this. I want everyone to relax and enjoy the day."

Anna pursed her lips, a tell tale sign she wasn't happy. "And you think your guests wouldn't be too happy with our presence? A day that is about you and you're worried about your guests?"

"Well yeah, I mean not all of them are used to this celebrity. I mean it was the main reason that Justin and I split when our relationship came to light. It's a lot for me sometimes, and I'm in this business." Sara didn't like to bring up the past in her relationship. In fact, this was the first time she spoke publicly to an outside member about the breakup. But fuck, this woman wasn't talking no for an answer.

She shook her head. "I swear I've always stood by celebs not mixing with athletes, but you can't help who you fall in love with I guess." They were interrupted by the waiter again, taking away the small soup and replacing it with a small portion of salmon. Ignoring the implied insult Sara continued. "We just don't really want all of this media attention, people can post photos and all of that. But we aren't going to be seeking out magazine specials."

Anna nodded again. "But you must at least allow us to cover the venue and give us small details. Maybe an official photo to post on our social media?"

It was never going to end. Anna was determined to get her way. Sara knew early on that was one of the main reasons she became editor in chief.

"I'll think about it." —-------------------------------------------------------------------

"I cant believe she was so insistent, why couldn't she take no for an answer?"

Isabelle and Sara were sitting outside her office. After she and her family left Anna's, Sara dropped everyone off at the airport. Once that was done, her stomach rumbled once the knots faded away and she realized she hadn't really eaten anything at the brownstone. It was still lunchtime, and she was close to Isabelle's office, so she called up her bridesmaid and they met for lunch. Sara giving her the recap of everything that happened. "I don't know, but she won't stand down. And I feel like I'm going to have to give in on something. Even if we have a minor feature, but I know they are going to take over. They want security so one gets a sneak peak of the ceremony before they post it, then everyone there is on edge."

Isabelle nodded. "I know, you guys had to tell his cousin to lock down their profile, and delete a bunch of people." Last year, she posted a summer recap, one photo included Justin and Sara snuggling on the beach, it was screenshotted and posted everywhere within a couple of hours. She received tons of messages asking about the couple, so she had to take it down and make some major changes. "I don't know, I just don't want to be this typical celeb. I want to make sure Justin’s friends and family love me."

"Sara, they absolutely do love you" Some friends of his had issues with the press when Sara came around, and she became a bit of bad gossip. It got back to her and Justin and he explained that this was his world and if they didn't like it they could distance themselves. Sara felt bad, and Justin had to reassure her that he didn't talk to those friends outside of the state. It was his good friends who didn't care, and they were now in the wedding party.

"I know, I guess all of this stress is getting to me. Justin and I should just run away to Scotland and elope. Someone's wedding video popped up on my YouTube and it was beautiful. I thought I wanted this wedding, but I just want to be married, and have his name already."

"You're taking his last name?" Sara nodded as she took a bite. "Yeah, I know everyone is sorta against that. But it's only personally I'll be known as Sara Herbert, professionally I'll stay Wozniak." She and Justin had agreed to the change. Call her old fashioned but she loved the idea of taking her husband's last name. It was sorta unifying. "I'm just sick of all these people acting like it's their wedding, or they have a right to be there. It's not a celebrity star studded event, it's not a chance for the elite to show off how much money they have or a fashion show. It's my fucking wedding!"

"Speaking of famous." Isabelle nodded to her left, following her glance, she saw in the distance A man hiding behind a long angled lens pointing in their direction. Sighing, they wrapped up their lunch and bid their goodbyes.

—---------------------------------------------------------------------

It was always nice to be home.

It was December 1st,  the wedding almost 5 months away. Bridesmaids and grooms attire was finished. Pierpaolo and his team did an amazing job making sure everything was tailored. All there was left to do was keep up with fitting so nothing had to be changed last minute. Her dress and veil were almost finished. Venue was picked out, cake was customized and ordered. Final guest list was completed, just needed to approve invitations and send them out, but that wouldn't be till February.

Speaking of, the Chargers were on top of the AFC, there was serious talk about them possibly going all of the way. Sara never mentioned it to Justin, but she felt like this was the team's year. It would be perfect and chaotic, her and Justin both getting rings.

November was the busiest month for the couple. Sara was all around Europe doing talk shows, finishing touches on a movie with Andrew Garfield, who was the most pleasant and respectful man she had ever worked with. Then there was the Lord Huron release party for the album in Los Angeles, then she had to be back in Oregon to check on venue prep, then it was back to New York for a photoshoot.

She had never been so tired in her life as she got in the door. Justin was in Texas for his SNF game and she was hoping to nap for a while so she could stay up and watch.

Unfortunately that wasn't the case, as her phone rang and she saw it was the planner. She stood there for a moment before deciding to pick it up. "Hello?"

"Hi sara." She sounded nervous over the phone. Uh oh. "What is it? I'm so tired, so this better be good."

"So uhh someone in your wedding party dropped out."

"Huh? Who?" Sara knew her entire party, and while she would be concerned, she would also rip them a new asshole for not telling her and instead going to her planner.

"It's the officiant." Her eyebrows drew together in concern. "Deacon Rodgers? Justin's family's preacher. I don't understand, Justin told me everything was fine on that end. He was supposed to come visit us next week!"

"Well he just informed me today he had some family issues and would not be able to officiate the wedding. Now the problem is everyone is booked because it is a four month notice. Everyone requires at least six months in advance."

Sara felt like she was going to have a full on bridezilla meltdown. She had done a good job keeping calm when things went wrong. Like Alyssa telling her that Brent might now be able to make it because of the NHL playoffs schedule going into June, her mom trying to invite all of their friends. Her dad wanting to pay for everything, wanting to make up for lost time. It was nice, but exhausting. In all honesty she was used to being ignored. She found solace in Justin's family. While she loved being close to hers, it was just chaos. Mark and Holly were just quiet people, they didn't have the money that the Wozniak's did, but they had each other.

Back to the issue at hand, she told her planner that she would deal with it, right now she just wanted to rest and watch Justin's game. After hanging up, her phone rang again, this time it was a three way call with her manager and agent, reminding her she had an appearance on a popular talk show promoting her guest appearance on Law and Order.

She washed her face and did her nighttime routine, even though it was the afternoon. Sara put down the blackout curtains so the room was dark. "Nova Eugene! Knock it off." She heard the cats stop wrestling, and within a few moments she was out.

—-----------------------------------------------------------------

"Baby. Wake up." She felt soft kisses on her face. Justin was home, she adjusted her eyes to the dark. "What time is it?"

He looked over at the clock on his nightstand. "2am. Did you see the game?" She shook her head. "Shit. I slept so long I was supposed to get up to watch. I guess I was more tired than I thought." He laughed and kissed her. "Go back to sleep babe."

Too late, she was wide awake now. "Well I slept for like 12 hours. I'm not tired anymore." Feeling mischievous and needing to relieve some stress, she climbed on top of Justin and began kissing him. "It's been a bad day, and I just want to forget." Pulling down his briefs, Justin flipped them over so he was on top. He missed her so much, and now that she was home with little to no obligations for quite some time he was excited to spend time with her when he could.

It didn't take long for them to come apart. Her gasping for air as he released with a groan, collapsing on her. After a few minutes, he rolled off. "Fuck I missed you." She cuddled up to him. "Same. I'm so glad I'm home. Did you win your game?" Feeling bad that she missed it. He nodded. "Yeah we won in overtime."

"Good." She paused, deciding to rip the band-aid off. "So Deacon Rodgers can't do the ceremony."

"Huh?" Justin didn't expect that to be the post sex convo. He looked over and rolled so he faced her. "What are you talking about? He was supposed to come visit us." She laughed. "Funny I said the same thing, but apparently last minute family issues."

"I don't see how that affects us. We are getting married in May."

"That's what I thought, but apparently now it's short notice to find someone."

"So what does that mean?" She shook her head. "I don't know. Do you know anyone who can officiate a wedding?" Justin shook his head. "I mean can't we hire a judge or something? Or Google someone?"

"I mean yeah, but can we find someone who would be willing to sign a NDA about us and our guests?"

"Good point." Sara sighed. "I just want to be married." He nodded. She cuddled closer to him. "Let's do it."

"Huh?"

"You have a Victory monday?" He nodded. "We won. So yeah."

"Let's go to the courthouse tomorrow and do it."

"But what about the wedding?"

"We can still do that. We will just have two dates." He laughed. "Sara, no."

"Huh?" He kissed her. "You told me before that you didn't like the idea of two anniversaries. Plus when we say our vows, I want them to be known to everyone that it's you and me."

Sara smiled. "You're right. It just sucks. We said small, and it's not shaping up that way. So many people are able to make this trip or want to come and it's just alot."

"We could scale it back, tell them to get lost." She chuckled. "Oh yeah Mr. Nice guy. Tell everyone to beat it." He laughed. "We could lie about the venue and We can figure this out tomorrow." He yawned. "I'm tired." Sara, still restless from the sleep schedule, threw off her covers and slipped on a big band t-shirt. Justin frowned. "Where are you going?"

"I'm hungry, and I forgot to feed the cats their dinner!" On cue, both cats meowed loudly.  "Just give them a few treats and come back quickly." He yawned again. Sara nodded,she wasn't going to do that.

Going into the kitchen, Sara took out their raw foods with their treats and goat milk. Once their bowls were filled, Sara grabbed boxed Mac and cheese and began making it. While she waited for the water to boil, she pulled out her laptop and began looking at their private wedding website. She edited the preacher's name off of the party section and looked at the timeline for the day. She still had to have a practice run for hair and makeup. Oh god she didn't even know how she wanted her hair! She would have to incorporate the heirloom hair piece somehow!

At this point she was assembling the Mac and cheese on autopilot. While eating she was searching for other things to incorporate at the reception. Photo booth, the lights on the dance floor-

"You do realize this is what we have a wedding planner for right?" She looked up from the laptop to see Justin with a sleepy smile. She nodded. "I know, I just don't want to seem like an uninvolved bridezilla. I want this wedding to scream 'us'." Justin came around the counter and wrapped his arms around her. Pressing a kiss on top of her head. "I know baby, it will, and I'm off so the rest of the day we can sit down and go over everything. We are way ahead of schedule, you know." She nodded, yawning again. He grabbed the bowl and scooped what was left from the pot in the bowl to store in the fridge for now. Once everything was cleaned up he carried her to bed. Climbing on top of her he told her. "You know if you aren't tired I could go for another round." He smirked.

She smiled. "Ehh I could take care of myself. You need your sleep." She tried to roll over but Justin grinded his hips into hers and she moaned. "Absolutely not too tired for this." He smashed his lips to hers and she moaned, wrapping her legs around his waist. Justin was grateful she forgot to slip on underwear as it was easier access. She moaned once Justin was inside of her. "Fuck I love you." He whispered in her ear and he began thrusting, her too breathy to reply back to him.

As she lost herself in pleasure, she knew everything would be okay, because in the end her and Justin would be married and that was all she wanted.

—---------------------------------------------------------------------

"What did I miss?" Sara was out of breath as she took her seat in the box. AnnSophie shrugged as she handed Sara a glass of wine. "Ehh nothing much, Jets are up by a field goal." It was the wild card game against the Jets, and Sara was nervous. Playoff season put her on edge and for good reason. It caused her to stress eat, which wasn't good because Valentino rep was supposed to come by next week for another full fitting for her dress. She saw Joe was fixing up a plate of food for his heavily pregnant wife. "Isn't Alisha like due to give birth any day?" Sara questioned as she saw her friend waddle over to grab the plate.

Joe looked over, hearing his friend. "Yes! And I'm on edge thank you very much! I was going to watch the game at home, but she wanted to go and you try arguing with a pregnant woman."

After a few glasses of wine, Sara made her way to the buffet table. AnnSophie was filling her plate. Having taken a break from modeling and stepping into behind the scenes of fashion since marrying Joey she was able to relax on dieting and other things.

However Sara was paying close attention to her friend and bridesmaid. She took no sips of her wine, and was avoiding certain foods at the table and yawning alot. Sara had never been pregnant, but AnnSophie had, and she remembered her friend's symptoms from the first time around. At halftime she cornered her by the buffet while she was chowing down on the Caprese salad.(AnnSophie hated tomatoes) "alright spill it, is Lexi going to be a big sister?"

AnnSophie pursed her lips for a moment, then sighed. "Okay I'm 8 weeks, I was going to tell you next week at the fitting. I promise I could still fit in my dress and I'll take care of any alterations." Sara stopped. "I'm so happy for you and Joey!" She hugged her friends. "Does anyone else know?"

Her friend shook her head. "No, we haven't even told his parents or brother and my family…." She trailed off. Sara smiled. "I swear I won't, I'm so excited for you guys and Lexi!"

The blonde laughed. "We haven't told her yet. Joey is worried that she is going to start asking where babies come from."

As they discussed the pregnancy in secret, they were interrupted by the game starting again. The Chargers were up by a touchdown, but before halftime, the Jets were close to the goal line.

It was a tough game, but the Chargers won, and Sara greeted Justin and they went back to the house to cuddle with the cats.

Sara had a good feeling about this year.

—--------------‐—-------------------------------------------------------

"THE LOS ANGELES CHARGERS ARE HEADING TO SUPER BOWL 59 IN NEW ORLEANS!" The announcer yelled as Sara and the WAGS went crazy in their seats. Sporting their customer made jackets with their guys name and number on the back. She had gotten the idea from Alyssa who said that every hockey team did a jacket for the wives in playoff season. Sara got Pierpaolo to design a navy blue jacket with the bolt logo, and on the back with the name and number.

It was a hit with the Chargers WAGs and the NFL, and people wanted the jackets to be put up for sale. Justin always loved Sara in his jerseys, so when he saw her in his jacket he loved it.

As she and Justin's family made it down to the field, she decided to stay off to the side and let Justin’s family share the joy and excitement on camera as Erin Andrews interviewed him. She looked around, the joy and celebration of everyone. She smiled as she saw Joey swing both AnnSophie and Lexi around, being careful of a pregnancy that was now public knowledge as of last week.

Sara couldn't help but think of a couple of years ago, when she watched Justin defeated at the Jags loss. Every announcer shitting on him and the team, questioning him and his capabilities. How heartbroken she was, then upset with the article and heartbreak of them splitting.

Now they were here, Justin was going to be playing in the superbowl, they were engaged to be married in less than six months. It all seemed like a dream, and she was going to wake up in her home and realize the last couple of years didn't happen-"

"Sara!" She broke free of her daydream and realized she was being lifted up into the air and swung around by her fiancé. Wrapping her legs around him he kissed her, and soon there was a swarm of cameramen and television stations surrounding them, capturing a very rare moment between them. Setting her down, they were met with a Los Angeles Fox news reporter wanting to ask Justin questions. She went to leave but Justin grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him, an action that didn't go unnoticed by everyone who knew them.

Justin's large arm was wrapped around her the entire time as he was answering questions about the game, and all of that. Finally the reporter addressed Sara. "Sara, how excited are you to witness Justin and his team reach the superbowl?"

It was funny because being a veteran at Award shows and live interviews it was a totally different ballgame being on the field. Sports wasn't what she was known for, and seeing all of this surrounded her made her nervous. "Yes it's so exciting, I'm so proud of Justin and his teammates. It's a long season, and these guys played their hearts out. To see them being rewarded for all of their hard work it's such a great experience and I couldn't be prouder." She looked up and met Justin's eyes and they shared a smile.

"Well no matter what happens in New Orleans you will be getting a ring for sure." They all laughed, and Justin thanked the reporter before going to celebrate.

They took pictures on the field. Sara and Justin, then Justin and his family, and Sara and Justin with his family. It would be given that some members of her family would fly out to the superbowl.

The celebration back in the locker room was insane. They were in Kansas City, so they couldn't do too much damage, but the music was blasting, champagne was flowing and spilling, and someone was handing out cigars and cigarettes. AnnSophie took Lexi home, not wanting both her and her kids to be exposed to that. Sara took a cigarette and lit it up. Justin gave her a look as he wasn't smoking. She pointed at him, "I don't want to hear anything. I'm under a lot of stress and trying to relax." He left it alone, but she knew she would get some sort of lecture later.

Sara made sure Justin enjoyed the moment. Watching him joke around and dance with teammates. It was a perfect scene, and so far, life couldn't get better than this.

—---------------------------------------------------------------

The weeks leading up to the big game were insane. Sara made travel arrangements for her family to travel to Louisiana. Almost everyone besides Alyssa and Brent were attending. Her parents would be staying behind with the grandkids as Brittany, Katie and their husband's would be attending.

Then the Lady Chargers decided to throw Sara and another Bride a joint bridal shower. It was very sweet, and once again Sara found herself lugging gifts.

In between all of the sanity, she threw complete wedding control to the planner and her mom. She wrote down her major requests for the wedding after party and food. It was out of her hands until the game was finished. While Justin was packing in between practices and getting ready for the send off rally. Eugene decided to break his foot, so he had to be rushed to the vet and be put in a cast. Luckily, her assistant volunteered to stay behind to take care of the cats,as she was fond of them both being around Sara often.

Her stylist picked her superbowl outfit, and her hair and makeup artists would be making sure she looked pristine as well.

Before they knew it, Justin and his team boarded the plane to Louisiana while she and the other WAGS tended to last minute things. Luckily the Chargers team let the WAGS and their families private planes to travel.

It was the last day before she was set to leave. Her bags were packed, hotel arrangements  were made and she was to set out at 8am the next morning to pick up AnnSophie and Lexi.

While she was waiting for her assistant to show up to pick up the cats her doorbell rang. Figuring it was her fiancés manager she ran to let her in. However it was the last person she expected to see.

Latrell was the latest addition to her team, he was a lawyer who specialized in finances, recommended by Katie. He was sharp, all business, and he never cracked a smile or laughed. Justin told her he made him feel uneasy.

"Hello Ms. Wozniak. May I come in?" He never called her by her name, no matter how many requests she's made. "Um, actually it's a bad time since I'm getting everything ready for tomorrow."

"Yes, I know about your super bowl trip. Congratulations to Mr. Herbert by the way. You must all feel very proud."  She nodded. "We are all so proud. Now if you don't mind, what does this concern?"

He sighed and entered the home. Putting his briefcase on the couch he opened it and pulled out a stack of papers. "I've been trying to contact you since the news of your engagement, but you've been impossible to schedule a sit down appointment with, so I took the liberty to draw this up."

Sara shook her head confused. "I apologize, but I don't know what is so urgent that it couldn't wait til after the wedding." He stopped and gave her a hard look, and she felt like she was a child about to be given a lecture by her dad. "I hardly think a prenuptial agreement could wait till after the marriage documents are signed, correct?"

She couldn't say anything. She hadn't even thought about it. Her and Justin were worth tons of money. Sara did have generational wealth, and technically was due to inherit property from her parents and a generous lump sum of money.

Justin would never take that from her IF they divorced. But then again he did break up with her.

But that was so long ago…..

It was only two years ago….

"Ms. Wozniak?" Sara snapped out of her daydream. "I'm sorry Latrell, I wasn't purposely ignoring you, but I hadn't thought about that really."

He nodded. "That's why I'm here. I took the liberty of discussing matters with Justin’s team. They were trying to reach him, but to no avail." It made her feel good to know that she wasn't going to be the one blindsided by this. Latrell continued. "I drew up a basic agreement, anything money, property accumulated before your marriage will remain yours and vice versa. The California laws of a 50-50 marriage will not apply In the event of a divorce. If Mr. Herbert commits infidelity you will be entitled to half of his earnings during the marriage. Your future c-"

"Woah woah" Sara put her hands up. "I really appreciate this Latrell, but I think this should be a matter I discuss with my future husband, don't you think?"

"No offense Ms. Wozniak, I anticipate the next few months you are not going to have time to sit down and discuss this with Mr. Herbert."

"Well I'm not signing anything without reviewing this, and having Justin here is important. I'm sorry but this will have to wait."

Latrell shrugged and went to the door. "Suit yourself, but Sara, you guys aren't any average couple. It is in your best interest that your net worth of fifty million is protected. Don't you think so?"

She nodded. "I'll call you." She saw him at the door and bid goodbye.

This was the last thing she needed right now.

—------------------------------------------------------------

"Holy shit this is insane." Rachel Joseph-Day was looking around in awe. They were all seated towards the back in the first level of the stadium. Sara had never been to New Orleans, so this was an amazing experience.

She had been in contact with Justin through the phone, the tables had switched for the media obligations. Justin was the main star, which she knew he hated. He was very poised in all of his media, even answering a few questions about her that he knew they were going to ask.

She knew people thought it was weird that they hadn't posted publicly about each other. The only crumble they gave were liking each other's posts or being tagged in friends' postings. It worked for them, and love wasn't dead because they were private to the whole world. Private not secret

During the pregame show her nerves were growing. Fellow celebs were taking their seats, stopping to say a few words of congratulations and good luck.

Her nerves calmed once Justin's family arrived. They were sitting behind her, as the other wives and girlfriends were taking up two rows next to them were her family, and Justin's coach from Oregon. They all talked before she and Katie decided to get snacks for people who wanted them

The concession stands were busy, and people stopped to take videos of Sara walking, and some influencers stopped her for photos. "I know I've seen you be all famous, but it's still weird seeing you like this. To me you will always be the emo dork who would steal my makeup." Sara laughed as she was in line. "Yeah be lucky I stole all of the tits so I couldn't steal your shirts!"

Once they ordered they began to walk back to their area when they heard a voice. "Hello Sara."

She froze, she recognized that condescending, bitchy tone. She looked next to her and sure enough it was the NFL's very own Taylor. "Hi Taylor. Always good to see you again." Sara took the cordial route. It was all petty high school drama anyway.

The blonde huffed. "Wish I could say the same." Sara sighed. "Well it was nice seeing you." She went to walk away.

"Your outfit is a little weird don't ya think?" Sara looked at her sister,who was concerned. "Katie, this is Taylor, the one I told you about." Her sisters face hardened. "So nice to meet you Taylor, I've heard a lot about you."

"Good things?"

"Not really." Sara had to hold back a laugh. Taylor continued. "I really admire your baby sister, she has perseverance. I mean no matter how pathetic she looks she keeps going!"

"Listen bi-" Sara held her hand up to stop her sister. "Listen Taylor. I don't know what your problem is, we are almost in our thirties. Well, I am. Can't you grow up just a bit? You're just upset you didn't get to me, and I got the ring in the end." She held her hand up to show the sparkler. "See? It's over. I'm marrying Justin this summer and you're just mad because it isn't you." Taylor was speechless, Sara saw there were a few people looking. "It was so nice seeing you! Enjoy the game!" She gave the old friends appearance wave and walked back to the seat.

Katie smiled. "I'm so fucking proud of you. That was so mature-"

"I should have accidentally spilled something on her." Sara cut in.

"Well there goes my compliment about you being mature." They both laughed.

From her seat, she had a view of the press on the field. She saw Taylor, who was now using her position to be on the sidelines for most likely the entire game. They met eyes, and once again Sara's left hand went up to move a piece of hair from her face. The blonde scowled and looked away.

Before the group all knew it, the lights dimmed and the announcer came on, ready for the introductions. The Chargers were wearing the powder blue yellow pants combination. Sara loved the yellow pants, as it showed off everything.

Once everyone was on the field and they did their usual theriatrics it was officially time for the game to begin.

Sara felt like she wanted to throw up.

—--------------------------------------------------------------------

"Four minutes on the clock, do you think they can score and avoid OT?" Taylor Pipkens spoke as she was nervously tapping her nails against her drink. Sara had an urge to bite her acrylics, but she knew her mom would bitch her out if she was caught on TV. They were watching at home with the kids.

The Cowboys were resilient, constantly on the Chargers back and taking a slight lead in the third quarter, however Prescott threw a costly interception that tied them up.

Now the clock was winding down, and the Chargers had the ball. The punt return didn't give them much help as the Dallas defense seemed to have a second wind.

Sara and the group were in their own little world. A few times she was shown on the jumbotron and the major broadcasting channels flashed to her downing a glass of wine, which Heidi messaged her that she was now a meme on Twitter, she didn't see the tons of messages her friends texted her. She would be fighting for her life in the group chat the next morning. She'd worry about that later.

So far Justin decided to run to get a few first downs, and they were almost in the red zone. She couldn't sit down, she was standing up, as well as the other wives and Chargers fans. It had been quite the time since it was announced that the Cowboys would be facing the Chargers. She had been getting death threats and hate messages. Some were good natured ribbing, but there were some that definitely got blocked.

There was two minutes left as Justin threw to Mike, who got stopped at the five yard line. It was now second down, and everyone in their section held their breath as Justin dropped back, a quick search and he threw to Quentin in the end zone, who caught it easily despite being covered by the Cowboys safety.

"Yes!" Everyone erupted at once. High fives were passed around, and Sara hugged people she didn't even know. Reaching over to high five Mark and Holly, there was 1:10 left, and it was up to the defense to stop Dak.

She had faith. Joey had been playing amazingly, so much that he was named the top defensive player. It was wonderful that despite the bullshit he faced from the outside world, he came back and proved everyone wrong.

Unfortunately, The punt was good, and the Cowboys started at the Chargers 40 yard line. "I think I'm going to throw up." Sara spoke to herself.

"You know if mom sees you, you are getting it. You know mom hates that more than anything." Brittany laughed and she realized her hands were in her mouth. "Sorry." She muttered.

It was third down, and as Dak tried to run, Joey anticipated his move, and down the quarterback went and the ball came loose.

It was all slow motion for Sara as she saw a sea of blue dive for the ball.

"They got it!" Mitch yelled! And tears began to stream down Sara's face as the team celebrated.

That was it

The Chargers were Superbowl champions!

The clock ran out, and powder blue and yellow confetti began shooting all over the stadium. The next few minutes was all a blur for Sara as she was passed around for hugs. Holly was in tears as the whole Herbert family was. AnnSophie was holding Lexi tight with Joey's mom and brother.

The usher got them and escorted them down to the sidelines to watch Roger Godell present the Lombardi trophy to Justin. Through the blur of her tears she saw him raise it up as she was taking video after video.

Once they were allowed on the field. Justin immediately reached for her and picked her up, swinging her around. This time, the tears flowed between both of them. After sharing a passionate kiss Sara spoke. "I love you so much! I'm so proud of you! I mean look." She gestured to the celebrations around them. "This is all for you!"

He nodded. "It is for all of us, including you." She shook her head. "We will argue about that later." He put her down and greeted his family. Holly began taking the confetti and stuffing some in her purse.

"Justin! The NFL network wants to interview you." Ashley guided Justin towards Taylor with the microphone  and the cameraman. Before Justin could reach her he turned around and grabbed Sara's hand pulling her towards him. Her eyes widened. "No Justin, this is your moment."

"We are doing this together." Taylor's eyes were as wide as saucers as the couple approached. "Okay we are on in three, two, one."

Taylor had to conceal her shock. "I'm here with Justin Herbert, the superbowl MVP. Justin, how important is this win to the city of Los Angeles?"

He smiled. "It's big, the fans in LA and San Diego have deserved this for so long, and to get back on the plane and bring it home is exciting."

"Justin that final play of the game, what was the atmosphere? Was there any panic?" It was obvious that Taylor was going to act like she wasn't there, so Sara angled herself off camera as much as she could (Justin's arm was still around her) so she could greet other members of his family. She didn't hear his response but was pulled back by the blonde's next question

"I'm sure any off season plans will have to be delayed this summer."

"No, it will just make it more exciting. He looked at Sara who smiled back. "We got to get another ring in a few months. So it will be a great off season."

"Well congratulations again." They both didn't miss the bite in Taylor's voice. Once they were out of ear shot they busted out laughing.

Eventually, Justin and the team went to get changed and ready to head out for a night on the town.

—--------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Annie!! I love our baby but I wish you weren't pregnant right now!" Joey smiled as he took a swig of champagne. His wife rolled her eyes. "Someone has to keep your ass in check. I'll probably be heading back towards the hotel to relieve the babysitter soon."

In New Orleans fashion, a parade down Bourbon street was held. The team and their families were walking down the street to the cheers of the crowd. Even the ones with kids were there, although the celebration was anything but appropriate.

"You realize we are going to have to get on a plane hungover tomorrow?" Sara giggled as she took a sip of champagne from the bottle."

Justin chuckled. "Baby I think you had way more than I did." He adjusted the championship hat on her head.

People were popping champagne, others were popping confetti cannons. The scene was chaotic, and beautiful in some way. Jazz bands were playing, and people were dancing in the streets, not even caring about football, just wanting to enjoy the party atmosphere.

Fireworks began going off, and Justin was lost in the moment, Sara was dancing and laughing at a comment Mike yelled. It was a high he never wanted to let go off. He had everything he ever wanted, well except one thing and he couldn't wait till May.

Grabbing his fiancé's hand he pulled her off to the side. "Justin what's wrong?"

"Let's get married." She began giggling and he was confused. "What?"

"Justin we are!" She showed him her ring. "Remember? Are you sure you haven't had too many…"

It was his turn to laugh. "I mean tomorrow when we go home. Let's go to the courthouse and get married."

She sobered up quickly. "I thought you said…"

"I know what I said, and I was wrong, I don't want to wait another moment without you being my wife. I love you and I want to marry you as soon as possible." He grabbed her hand. "If you want to."

She thought about it. Her team would be upset, their families would be upset. But it wasn't about them.

"Let's do it."

A/N: I had to bust this up into two parts because it was wayyy too long. But what do you think? Should they marry at the courthouse or just wait til their actual wedding?