Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction and is not intended to imply anything about the true sexuality of the celebrities mentioned or any personal knowledge about their private lives.

Author's Notes: This story came about to cope with the loss of AFC Championship game against the Bengals. The Chiefs had a complete meltdown in the second half. They lost to themselves. Can't wait for the new season of Football. To send author comments and feedback, please email nsaphrodite@outlook.com

 

Thirteen Seconds

 

AFC Championship Game

 

Travis can't shake this feeling he's had since the morning- this feeling of uneasiness in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't sleep last night, having woken up in the middle of the night by the same inconspicuous imagery of smoke-filled starry night, blinding lights, and fluttering lashes over golden brown eyes. He's never had this feeling before going into the game. Something doesn't feel right when he steps onto that field.

It's now halftime and although they had squandered the touchdown and worse the field goal, Patrick still feels good about the game. The Kansas City Chiefs dominated the first half, up 21 to 3 over the Cincinnati Bengals. They just need to continue playing well in the second half. Patrick isn't worried. With the exception of the last drive in the first half, they were playing well on all cylinders.

Patrick gives his team the pep talk, trying to keep the positive energy up when Coach Reid saunters into the locker room. Coach Bienemy follows close behind him.

"Great first half, boys!" Coach Reid praises and just as quickly as he arrived, he exits the locker room.

It is extremely uncharacteristic of Coach Reid. There was no mischievous smile on his face. There were no words of encouragement. There were no second half play adjustment discussions. Patrick's eyes connect with Coach Bienemy's. His brows furrow and Coach Bienemy shrugs his shoulders in response then leaves the locker room.

As the boys are getting ready for the second half, Patrick receives a text message. It's a message from Coach Reid. He has summoned the quarterback to his office. Patrick isn't sure what is going, but perhaps Coach wants to go over some plays privately with him as there have been rumors that the Bengals were stealing other teams' signals. Patrick pauses in front of the office door and knocks.

"Come in," Coach Reid hollers from behind the closed door.

Patrick turns the doorknob and pushes open the door. He finds Coach Reid at his desk and Coach Bienemy sitting in a chair across from him. There is an empty chair next to Coach Bienemy.

"Have a seat, Patrick," Coach Reid gestures at the spare seat across from him.

Patrick forces a small smile on his face as he sits down uncomfortably.

"We got Patrick here," Coach Reid announces into the speaker phone.

"Patrick." It's the Chiefs' owner, Clark Hunt.

This can't be good. Patrick fears he is in trouble with the organization. This is his worst season statistically and on top of that Brittany and Jackson have been an embarrassment to the organization all year long. The whole world has been turning against him and his family. It was only a matter of time the Chiefs would be fed up with his family's shenanigans. What if they want to amend their contract with him so they can trade him? Patrick fears the worse, but he never expects to hear the next few words spoken by the Chiefs' owner.

"We need you to throw the game away."

"What do you mean throw the game away?" Patrick asks.

"Patrick, we need you to lose the game," Clark Hunt clarifies.

Patrick turns to Coach Reid, begging silently for him to interject. Coach Reid quietly shakes his head. When Patrick doesn't reply, Clark Hunt addresses Coach Reid instead.

"Coach, please make sure we lose the game."

"You got it," Coach Reid replies back. He turns off the speaker phone and looks up at Patrick, who is still shell-shocked from what he has just heard. "Patrick, you have to lose the game."

"Coach, I don't understand. We fought so hard this season to get where we're at and the owner of the organization wants me to lose the game?"

"It's very complicated," Coach Reid mutters under his breath.

"Well please explain it to me, Coach. Please." Patrick turns from Coach Reid to Coach Bienemy. "Do you think I should throw the game away?"

"We don't have a choice. It's coming from high up the chains," Coach Bienemy explains.

"Patrick, please," Coach Reid pleads, "not this season, son."

Defeated, Patrick rises to his feet. With his shoulders slumped, he exits the office, slamming his helmet against the doorframe on his way out.

"We have to make sure we lose the game," Coach Reid reiterates. "I don't want to lose Patrick. He's too valuable to the team."

"Of course," Coach Bienemy replies.

Patrick mopes back into the locker room. As soon as his teammates see him, they all become quiet. The once cheerful, fully energetic Patrick is gone- replaced by a sullen figure of conflicting pain. Travis is first to approach the quarterback.

"You okay, Patty Cakes?" Travis asks, expressing concern. "You seem upset. We need you with your head on straight for the second half."

Patrick bites his bottom lip and shakes his head. "Umm..." Patrick starts to tell Travis when Coach Reid and Coach Bienemy return to the locker room.

"Boys, I have something to tell you," Coach Reid begins.

Coach Reid looks towards Patrick, who quickly strips his arm away from Travis's grasp and walks out of the locker room. Tyreek Hill shoots Travis a questioning look, to which Travis mouths his response of "I don't know".

"Where's Patrick going?" Tyrann Mathieu asks.

Coach Reid ignores his Safety and continues to address the team.

"We have to lose the game." Shock reverberates throughout the locker room. Some of the players are now yelling at Coach Reid, demanding explanations. Coach Reid reiterates, "We have to lose the game. I'm sorry, boys. It's out of my control. It's a direct order from higher ups. You all did an amazing job this season. I'm so proud of how we overcame our early losses to get here. We'll have next season to get back to the Super Bowl, but we cannot go out and win this game."

Coach Reid ends the most depressing halftime talks of his career and releases his players to return to the field for the second half. Patrick is already in the tunnel, leaning against it, waiting for his teammates to join him. When Travis appears, Patrick slides away from the tunnel wall and joins him in the middle of the tunnel as their teammates mosey out of tunnel and onto the field.

"I'm sorry, Travis," Patrick murmurs.

"What for? You didn't make the decision," Travis assures his quarterback.

"I just have this feeling that I'm part of the decision to throw away the game," Patrick muses. "I kept telling Brittany and Jackson to calm down all season long. I really did."

"I know. We'll have next season." Travis gives him a hug, holds onto him tighter than usual. He grasps Patrick's face with both hands so their eyes can meet. "Look at me, Patrick. It's okay. We'll be back," Travis tells his quarterback.

Patrick nods his head as Travis's fingertips linger on far too long. Travis finally lets his fingertips slide off Patrick's freshly shaven silky skin and leaves him to join their teammates on the field. Patrick is last to leave the tunnel. He keeps his head down and saunters to the sidelines.

Despite getting the directives from the higher ups, the players and coaches remain competitive. It's in their nature to want to win. Heated arguments erupt on the sidelines as some of the players and coaches forget their task for the night. Patrick sits by himself, eyes transfixed on the game drive before him that he fails to recognize Travis sliding down next to him on the bench.

"You okay?" Travis asks.

Patrick shakes his head. "No, I'm not okay," Patrick answers. "There are a lot of guys playing tonight, coaches here, too, whose careers are on the line and I'm supposed to just throw the game?"

"It's not just you, Patrick," Travis corrects him. "We're all supposed to lose the game tonight. We don't have a choice."

"I still don't understand," Patrick murmurs under his breath.

"Neither do I," Travis confesses. He places his hand over Patrick's and gently squeezes his tensed knuckles. It doesn't help as Patrick tightens his fists.

Travis sighs deeply and gets up. He makes his way towards Coach Reid and Coach Bienemy. They're at it, again, arguing over the previous play calling. Travis walks by them and is stopped by Coach Reid. Coach Reid grabs his attention and signals the tight end further away from the sidelines. Once they are out of ear shot of the other players and coaches, Coach Reid reminds Travis the plan for the night.

"I got it, Coach," Travis reassures his coach. Coach Reid pats him on the back and offers a small smile of appreciation. He turns to rejoin the rest of his coaching staff when Travis calls out to him. "Coach!" Coach Reid turns around to face his tight end. "Why?"

"We need to lose to keep Patrick. That's why."

Travis needs no further explanation. He'll go to Hell and back for Patrick Mahomes.

Cincinnati wins in overtime, 27-24.

nsaphrodite@outlook.com