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“Dude, why is your phone blowing up?” Pat asks as Travis walks back into their shared dorm room after a shower.
Travis shrugs and heads to his suitcase to look for a clean shirt. Training camp had been brutal and he is ready to cool off and relax before it all starts again tomorrow.
“Oh, yeah. I maybe mentioned Taylor Swift on the podcast. About trying to give her my number at the concert? It aired today so it’s probably just Ross or Harry talking shit."
Pat looks down at the phone again and his eyes widen. “Ummm, Trav, this text is from someone at Entertainment Tonight.”
“What!” he says as he grabs the phone from Pat. “Fucccckkkkkkk…”
******
“Hey, man!”
He hears Pat’s voice above the sound coming through his headphones and pulls them down to see what he wants.
“You good?”
“Yeah,” Travis says, confused.
“You sure?” Patrick asks skeptically.
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
“It’s just, you’ve played that song three times now. Really loud. I can hear it word for word even through your headphones."
Travis blushes, thinking he has been stealthy.
They look at each other for a beat before Pat smirks at him and says, “Technically you didn’t meet her so you can’t be enchanted.”
“Fuck you, Pat.”
*******
“Are you coming to dinner?” Pat asks, sticking his head back into their room before he heads down to the cafeteria.
“Huh?” Travis replies, lost in what he is doing.
“Yo! Earth to Trav!” He hears a loud clap and looks up as Pat snarks, “You coming or are you going to stare at your phone like an idiot some more?”
Travis shakes his head and gives his phone one last glance before pocketing it and standing.
“Nah, I’m coming, I’m coming.”
As they walk down the hall, Patrick can’t help but ask him, “Who has you smiling and glued to your phone?”
Travis’s deer-in-the-headlights look isn’t lost on his friend but he still deflects “Oh, um. Just Jason texting me funny things Wy and Ellie are up to?”
Pat raises an eyebrow, “Is that a question?”
Travis rolls his eyes and keeps walking, calling back, “Come on, I’m starving.”
******
Patrick is sure his bang on the door startles the fuck out of Travis. But for fuck's sake, why did he lock the door?
“Trav, open the fucking door!” Pat starts banging again. He can hear Travis come closer and snippets of his conversation.
“Shit, I have to go. No, have a good–”
“TRAVIS!” he yells impatiently again.
“Fuck, I swear I don’t normally live in a dorm room.”
Patrick bangs louder. Other players are starting to stare.
“Yeah, bye. Can’t wait to hear how it went.”
Travis opens the door to a red-faced Patrick. He tries to look at him nonchalantly but he can tell he’s about five seconds from getting his ass made to run sprints tomorrow in retaliation.
“Hi.”
Pat just glares and pushes past him.
********
“What are you watching?” Pat questions from across the room. They’re at the point of camp where everyone is over it and just wants to chill in the evenings.
“Hmmmm?”
“Anything good?” Pat clarifies. “I’m bored.”
“Oh,” Travis replies. “No, just stuff for the pod for when we get back to it after camp.”
“It sounded like a concert.”
Oh, yeah, just background noise on a video.”
“On a sports video?” Pat needles.
“Patrick,” Travis warns.
“Fine, okay. Keep your secrets,” he says as he turns off his light.
******
The light comes on just as Travis thinks he’s made it back into the room successfully without waking his roommate.
“Oh, hey,” he says, “You’re still up.”
“Yup. Why were you sitting outside? It’s still hot as balls out there.”
“Yeah,” Travis says, searching for an excuse. “I was just talking to…my mom.”
“Your mom?” Patrick questions. “For two hours?”
Travis scoffs at him before throwing himself down on his bed.
“You timed me? Are you sure you’re not my mom?”
******
Travis can’t sleep. Training camp is ending the day after tomorrow and he’s ready to be back in his own, much more comfortable bed. Ready to get the season started now that they’ve built themselves back into a team. But that’s not what is on his mind right now, and suddenly he can’t keep it to himself.
“Pat, you awake?” he asks into the dark.
“Mmm, yeah barely,” Pat mumbles.
“Can I tell you something?” he questions. “You can’t tell anyone. Not even, Brittany.”
“Yeah of course.”
“I met a girl,” he shares.
Patrick sighs, before saying, “Trav, I’m tired. Is this a hook-up story?”
“What? NO!” And then adds, “A real girl.”
“Okay, sorry, dude, go ahead.”
“It’s Taylor.”
“Trav! Fuck off, you said real.”
“I’m serious!”
Patrick suddenly comes into focus as he turns on the light. Travis looks at him steadily, trying to convey how serious he is about this. Patrick’s expression turns dumbfounded.
“No shit?”
“Yeah.”
“Man.”
“She heard the pod. Her cousin apparently listens cause he’s a Chiefs fan. And he sent it to her. We’ve been texting for a bit. Calling. She’s awesome, bro.”
“Travis,” Pat says, skepticism in his voice. Not that he doesn’t want to be happy for his friend, he just doesn’t want this to go south just as the season is starting, especially with how hopeful Travis sounds.
“No, I know,” Travis continues. “But she wants me to come out after camp. For dinner and to see if it might work…I mean…we really like each other."
Patrick blows out a breath before replying, “That’s…Trav, that’s crazy but I’m happy for you. I’d be freaking out. How are you so calm?”
Travis shakes his head and shrugs, “I don’t know. Something about her. It’s like we’ve known each other forever when we talk. It’s…I can’t explain it.”
“I understand more than you know,” Patrick says, the realization of how serious this is clicking with him.
Travis looks at him and thinks about the story he’s heard about how Patrick and Brittany fell in love.
“Yeah, I think you might.”
“Don’t fuck this up, Trav,” Patrick warns. “And I don’t mean because she’s Taylor Swift. If you feel this way, don’t take it lightly.”
“I won’t. I can’t. I…for the first time, I don’t want to. I’m deadly serious about her,” he vows before continuing. “Guys, haven’t…well, it’s her business but it seems guys have been assholes to her for the most part, and I don’t plan to be one of them.”
“Good,” Pat states. “I’m happy for you, man. And hey, now you can listen to the sappy love songs for once rather than making me hear the sad, longing ones.”
Travis rolls his eyes, “Fuck off.”
Patrick raises his voice even higher pitch than normal as he belts out “You belong with MeHEEHEE!”
“We’re fighting on the field tomorrow. I’ll kick your ass, Mahomes.”