"Say rivalry week five times fast."

I shot Mara a deadpanned look. "I'm not falling for that."

She snickered before turning her attention back to her camera. "So that means everyone's playing a rivalry school this weekend?"

"Basically," I shrugged. "Some play their conference rival, like Ohio State and Michigan, and some play their in-state rival. USC's not in our division, but they call this game the Palmetto Bowl for a reason. Winner gets to say they're the best team in the state of South Carolina. UNC plays NC State, Florida plays Florida State, so on and so forth."

"Guess they couldn't have come up with something easier to call it than rivalry week." Mara had to say the last part slowly to avoid getting her tongue twisted up.

"Where's the fun in that?" I sighed, and my breath materialized in front of me in a cloud of white smoke.

It was almost winter now, which meant that the sun went down earlier, and the chills came when it got dark. That didn't stop the 82,000 people in the stands, who'd packed out Death Valley for Clemson's last home game of the season. College Gameday's presence on campus only seemed to amplify the energy that zipped through everyone.

I hadn't spoken to Reid much throughout the day. Between our respective preparations for College Gameday and the game itself, we seemed to miss each other at every opportunity. But when the game started, we found each other's eyes through the crowd of personnel and players on the field and the sideline, if not by gravity then by some sort of divine intervention. He looked up and smiled just enough for me to know it was meant for me.

Whatever pretty and fluttery feelings we were having ended up being short-lived. Reid's first half was terrible, and it didn't take a genius to figure out why. He fumbled twice (luckily one he recovered), sent passes sailing 10 feet over JJ's head, and when he came off the field before halftime after going three and out (again), he slammed his helmet on the bench as Coach Riley gave him an earful.

No matter how much film he studied on this team and no matter how many times he watched that final game from two seasons ago, the mental roadblock of playing in the game that damaged him so severely couldn't be so easily moved.

In the small allotted section for the USC fans and their icky garnet red, someone was holding up a huge sign with a picture of that one fish from Spongebob who always yelled my leg! Self-explanatory, and super tasteless.

"What do you think is gonna happen?" Mara asked me as we sat on the sideline at halftime.

"I don't know," I shook my head as I wrapped my arms around my torso to keep the warmth in. "If they lose this game they go to two losses on the season, and their playoff odds plummet. They all know that, and if Reid's struggling, some other guys better step the fuck up. It's a team sport."

Mara snickered. "You're so defensive of Reid, it's cute."

"It's just the truth," I grumbled.

Clemson had deferred the coin toss, so they were the first to receive the ball to start the second half. Reid and the offense went three and out again, and on the last play of the drive he got pummeled into the turf by two USC defenders. All of a sudden that little section of USC got rowdy, raining boo's down on the field while all our loyal fans were dead silent. We were playing in a graveyard.

"Oh my god, he's not getting up." Mara groaned.

"Reid always gets up." It came out softer than I intended it to, and I wasn't sure if it was because I was really only telling myself.

Mara put her hand to her head. "We're gonna lose this game, aren't we?"

"No, we're not." I sat up straight, my words far more assured this time as the realization hit me like someone had just dumped ice water onto my head. "Reid always gets up."

I jumped to my feed and shoved my iPad in Mara's hands. "I have an idea. Take care of this until I get back."

"Jo, what-"

I didn't stick around to hear Mara's response as I bolted to the tunnel at the end of the field so I could get up into the press box at the top of the stadium.

For Reid, this was the final test. Not winning the Heisman. Not making it to the national championship. That was all just cherries on the sundae. It was this game, right here and right now, and he needed to be reminded of that.

By the time I made it up into the press box I felt like someone had taken a torch to my lungs. And here I thought I was in shape.

"I need you to play a song," I said to our stadium announcer Freddy, trying to hide how breathless I was.

"Jo, you're not really supposed to be up here," he said as he slid his headset off.

"I don't care, just play the damn song," I snapped. "Right now, before the offense takes the field again."

I pulled up my Spotify for him and showed him the song. He motioned to the press box's sound engineer, who hooked me up into the speaker system and pressed play.

I pressed myself against the press box desk to peer down through the big open windows and onto the field.

"Turn it up," I instructed him. The intro to the song faded in, and the only thing I always hated about the song was how long it took to rev up and hit the chorus. But when it did, I could only hope the crowd would recognize it and start singing along.

I get knocked down, but I get up again
You're never gonna keep me down

I get knocked down, but I get up again
You're never gonna keep me down

"C'mon c'mon," I clenched my teeth before turning to Freddy. "Keep it on. I owe you one."

I bolted out of the press box almost as quickly as I came, dashing down the steps of the stadium as everyone in the crowd started joining in, and the echoing of 82,000 people made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as if lightning were about to strike.

I made it back down to the field just in time to see Reid zip a deep pass to JJ and put them into the red zone. I didn't yet rejoin the crew on the sideline - instead I hovered by the end zone.

When Reid plowed through the USC defensive line and scored, the cheers were so loud we probably registered on the richter scale.

"Yes, yes, yes!" I screamed and jumped up and down, not giving one single shit who saw me or what they thought.

After the necessary touchdown celebrations, gravity pulled our gaze towards one another again, and he pointed at me and smiled.

Whatever incoming bolt of lightning I felt before, it struck the field, energizing the team with whatever it was they needed. They ended up winning 21-14, and the press box played the song again.

There was understandable mayhem after the game. The crowd stormed the field, the media stormed Reid, and even Mara went looking for Derek. I hung back, leaning against the brick supporting wall that separated the stands from the field. Orange fireworks boomed overhead, and even from a distance I could see the way they lit up Reid's face as he talked to reporters, grinning as he raked his sweaty hair off of his forehead.

I think maybe I had always been in awe of him, but for some reason, tonight made me truly realize it. So I decided to leave him be and let him have his moment. He deserved it.

━━━━━━

It wasn't until much later that night that I finally heard from him.

REID DONAHUE: you up?

REID DONAHUE: damn it, not like that lol

I smiled to myself as I typed a response.

ME: For you? Always.

REID DONAHUE: meet me on the field. Hill gate is open.

I'd already put my PJs on, but I threw one of Reid's hoodies over my sleeping shirt and slipped my Hoka sneakers on right over my fuzzy socks. Bree and I hadn't exactly reconciled since our disagreement, and I poked my head out of my bedroom to see if she was still in the living room watching anime. I didn't need the disapproving glances while I was still riding the high of the game earlier.

Thankfully it was dark and silent in my apartment, and I tip-toed across the living room before slipping out the door and gently shutting it behind me. I figured it was calm enough at almost 11 pm to easily drive over to the stadium and park on the street by the gate at the top of the hill. The grass was wet as I slowly made my way down the Hill (which is way steeper than it looks), and bits of orange and purple confetti still stuck to the ground in clumps.

Reid sat on the paw at the center of the field, resting back on his arms with his head turned upwards to the big purple lettering up in the stands. CLEMSON UNIVERSITY WELCOMES YOU TO DEATH VALLEY.

"Fancy meeting you here," I said to him with a chuckle.

"Hey," he smiled up at me. "Nice hoodie."

I gave him a gentle shove in the arm before sitting down beside him. I knew Reid well enough by now to know that he didn't mind sitting in silence, and whatever he wanted to say to me he would eventually. So I waited until he was ready.

"Thank you," he breathed out. "For what you did after halftime."

I put a gentle hand to his shoulder. "I didn't do anything except remind you of who you are."

Reid heaved out a sigh and rolled his neck a few times before looking back up into the empty stands. A cool night time breeze blew through the stadium, and he instinctively pulled me a little closer. "You know, I realized about an hour ago that that was the last game I'm ever gonna play on this field."

I looped my arm around his and leaned my head on his shoulder. "Wow. I guess with all the craziness from today, I didn't realize it either."

"If we'd lost that game, the memory of my final game here would have been shitty. What you did...you saved that memory for me. So yeah, you did do something."

My response came as easily as breathing did. "Because I love you, Reid."

He pressed a kiss to my forehead and mumbled into the top of my head, "Yeah, I know that now."

We sat in silence for a little bit longer, eventually laying back onto the turf and counting flickering stars that made us feel small for once in our lives.

"I'm sad," he admitted softly. "But at the same time, I just...I feel good about the future."

And somehow no matter what kinds of conversations were forced upon me over the last few days, no matter how much I questioned myself and every move I made, in that moment he made me feel good about my future, too.

━━━━━━

i love this man. end of story.

eight chapters left and it really has been a struggle getting to the end here, but alas we persist. i do it for them! they're in love!

as always, thoughts/concerns/comments encouraged <3