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brUTUS

"S ee them?" Sampson looked and saw the large group of soldiers, some of them pinning a banner that read "Cranked For Superstar" on the wall in front of their seats. "Yeah... those your Army people?"

"Technically they're Charlie Company and they're here to see Linda, not me," Brutus said with a smile. "Though it's pretty cool they showed up for me too."

"Is that so, Keishi?" he asked Takeshi. "Giving my girl a hard time?"

"Nah, superstar, just making sure she's got the support she needs since you're too busy playing ball," Takeshi replied with a grin, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.

Linda stood up, her baby bump visible in her loose shirt. The sight of her made Brutus's heart skip a beat, just as it had since the first day they'd met.

She'd been through so much with him—the long-distance relationship while she was deployed, the worried nights when he was injured on the field, and now carrying their child. Every sacrifice had led to this moment.

"You gonna stand there staring, or you got something to say?" Linda called down, a challenging smile on her face that he'd fallen in love with during their first meeting at Fort Pickett.

Hollywood, who Brutus had called earlier to help arrange this surprise, spoke up.

"We wouldn't have to protect her so much if you weren't playing like such a pussy!"

"Oh yeah? How about you come down here and say that to my face!" Brutus yelled, swiping up playfully at Hollywood, who swiped back.

It started a general commotion, with people yelling at Brutus and him yelling back. He tried to watch his language as he vaulted into the stands, aware of the network cameras tracking his every move.

Linda's eyes widened as he approached, a mixture of confusion and amusement on her face. "What are you doing? The game's about to start!"

The soldiers from Charlie Company formed a circle around them, creating an intimate moment in the midst of the crowded stadium. These were the people who had been there for Linda when he couldn't be, during deployments, training exercises, the difficult days. They'd become family to both of them.

Brutus took her hands in his, suddenly aware of how calloused his felt against her softer skin. He could feel his heart pounding, harder than before any game he'd ever played.

"Linda," he said, his voice cracking slightly. "You know how much I love you."

"I do," she said softly, her eyes searching his face. "But what's going on?"

He reached into his uniform pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. As he dropped to one knee, gasps and cheers erupted around them. Linda's hand flew to her mouth, tears already forming in her eyes.

"Since that first day at Fort Pickett, when you put me in my place in front of everyone, I knew you were special.

Through deployments, injuries, distance, nothing has changed how I feel about you.

You're my heart, my home." He opened the box, revealing the ring he'd spent weeks selecting. "Will you marry me?"

Linda's tears flowed freely now, one hand resting on her belly where their child grew.

"Yes," she whispered, then louder, "Yes!"

The soldiers around them erupted in cheers as Brutus slid the ring onto her finger. When he stood and kissed her, it felt like the entire stadium disappeared, there was only Linda, only this moment.

When they finally broke apart, she studied his face with concern. "What about the game?"

"Babe, I'm done," he told her, his voice low and intimate despite the noise around them.

"Mentally, physically... I don't want to be a linebacker after today.

I want to be a husband, a father. I want to wake up in our home, make you breakfast, take care of our baby.

Not get knocked around twenty times a game. "

Linda's expression softened, a mixture of relief and understanding washing over her face. She'd seen the toll football had taken on his body over the years—the ice baths, the painkillers, the mornings when he could barely get out of bed. She placed a hand on his cheek.

"Then go out there and give it your all," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "Everything you've got left as a football player. Because it's your last game."

He nodded, feeling a weight lift from his shoulders at having finally spoken the decision aloud. He kissed her, memorizing the moment, the scent of her perfume, the softness of her lips, the promise of their future together.

As he climbed over the railing and dropped back down to the turf, Brutus felt lighter than he had in years. The decision had been weighing on him for months, but now that Linda knew, now that she'd accepted his proposal, everything felt right.

Jogging back towards the tunnel, Grapefruit met him at the sidelines, a knowing smile on his face. "So she said yes."

"She did." He exchanged a hug with his longtime teammate and friend. "Said I need to go out there and give all I've got left."

Grapefruit nodded, taking a deep breath. "Sounds about right. Hey, just to let you know, I talked with McMahon this morning... I'm requesting out of my contract."

"You want to leave?" Brutus asked, surprised. "Why?"

"Because I'm getting older too," Grapefruit admitted, glancing toward where his own family sat in the stands. "Bluecats are going into a rebuild phase. I'd like to see if I can finish my career with a contender, spend more time with my kids before my knees give out completely."

Brutus understood. They'd both given their bodies to this game, and now it was time to think about what came after.

Family.

Future.

Life beyond the field.

"Then one last ride, brother," Brutus said, clapping Grapefruit on the shoulder.

As they headed toward the locker room for final preparations, Brutus glanced back at the stands where Linda stood watching him, her hand resting protectively over their unborn child, her new ring catching the stadium lights.

Charlie Company surrounded her, the family they'd built together through war and peace.

Today wasn't an ending, he realized. It was a beginning.

The roar of the crowd followed him into the tunnel, but for once, it wasn't the cheers that drove him. It was the promise of coming home, to Linda, to their child, to the life they would build together away from the spotlight.

One last game.

And then, forever.