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It is the fourth Friday in September and Kansas City is bathing in sun. Fall still feels ages away, but the golden light mirrored in the glass of the open window is a tell that, in a few weeks, the scenery will shift to an earthy color palette.
Taylor is standing in the kitchen in Travis’ house, a glass of water in one hand and her phone in the other.
“No no, it’s just that I’m not in New York at the moment.” She can hear Jack sigh on the other side of the phone, can picture him rolling his eyes.
After insisting on them finalizing the vocals for one of the songs on her new album before the end of this week and then not show up, she gets that he is not particularly overjoyed.
“I’m really sorry, it’s just been a lot going on lately and well, I’- I’m in Kansas City for the game on Sunday.” She rushes the last part out, hasn’t really shared too much about the latest developments of her love life.
Jack chuckles in response. He is still amused by the fact that Taylor’s dating a football player. Whenever he gets the chance, teases her on how surprised he’d been when she burst through the studio doors on a Wednesday in August, two minutes late, lipstick smudged and a smile she just couldn’t hide. “So the footballer is here to stay” He’d stated more than asked and Taylor is certain that she had turned bright red. No more questions were needed after that.
They talk for a bit longer, some football references, most likely incorrect, sneaked in by Jack (“You need to be prepared for Sunday, Tay” he teases) and then hang up with the agreement to have some studio time the coming week.
Taylor leans back on the kitchen counter and puts the phone down, a small smile on her face. It’s so quiet here. The definition of the calm before the storm, honestly. She’s picturing this time on Sunday, the buzz, the gossip, the social media frenzy.
She’s ok with that though. In one way, she can’t wait to show Travis off. It has been really difficult to not tell the world about the giant guy with the kind heart and the green eyes that’s been occupying her mind for the past two months. If she counts the days from the first text, which would be the same date as the first FaceTime call, it has already been 59 days of them.
She wouldn’t be able to hide the relationship for much longer anyway, not according to her friends. Apparently she brings him up in every conversation. Last week Blake showed her a list in the notes on her phone of all the times Taylor had uttered one of the phrases: Travis said.., Travis does…, I need to tell Travis..
It’s an embarrassing number of times. But what can she do. He makes her smile and makes her heart flutter in a way Taylor’s pretty sure she’s never felt before.
The distant sound of a key turning in the front door reaches her in the kitchen and interrupts her train of thoughts.
“Hi Tay, you home?” Some shuffling and before she’s even had time to refocus to the present and shout her own “Hi” back, he’s standing in front of her. Smiling big. And she can’t think of anything to say.
So instead she takes a quick step forward and hugs him tightly. Arms secured around his waist. ”Was just thinking about you,” she mumbles into his chest.
He presses a kiss to the top of her head and looks down at her pretty face. ”Good thoughts?” She nods against him and can feel his soft gaze on her when he takes a step back.
He looks her up and down and then with a slightly confused look does the same thing again. That’s when Taylor remembers what she’d done right before Jack called. She meets Travis' eyes and his tender smile turns a bit mischievous.
“That’s what you’ll be wearing Sunday?” he asks while taking her hand and twirling her around. The black skirt, even though it’s very short, is flowing around her.
Taylor matches his smile while looking down on her outfit. A black skirt, white tank top and the red chiefs jacket Travis had gifted her a few weeks back (for whenever she was ready to really be a part of the Chiefs Kingdom, which she’s honestly been since the time she saw his handsome face in New York in early August. And he knows that).
“Hmm, probably shorts since it’s more comfortable.”
“Comfortable is good.” Travis agrees. “And you’re obviously fucking gorgeous in everything, but red really suits you, Tay.”
She blushes at that, cheeks feeling hot. She reaches for her glass of water and drinks it all in one go, but the warmth inside her is only spreading, making her tingle all over. This is what Travis does to her with his words, his looks and just his presence.
From the way he is looking at her right now, Taylor is pretty confident that Travis feelings are matching hers. So she hauls him in for a slow kiss and somehow, it’s not long before she is on the kitchen counter, Travis standing between her legs, one hand caressing her cheek, the other in her hair.
Taylor pulls away a bit. “Trav, you’re the best thing that could happen to me” she whispers. He mumbles something against her lips, and she thinks what he is saying is that she’s the best thing that has happened to him too.
Then she feels the urge to say aloud the other thing she’s been thinking about this afternoon. “And I really really can’t wait until Sunday to show the world how hot my new boyfriend is.” That makes Travis lean back abruptly and when he sees the twinkle in her eyes he just bursts out laughing. That, Taylor realizes, is her new favorite sound.
She starts laughing too. And instead of continuing their makeout session Taylor runs up to change into more comfortable clothes while Travis heats up some leftovers from yesterday's dinner.
They talk about everything that night. How things might change when their relationship won’t be a secret anymore. If things will change in Kansas City, where they until now have been able to walk around rather freely. How they will handle questions, pictures taken by fans and paparazzis.
In the end it’s surprisingly Travis that puts it into words in the best way.
“I’m really so damn excited to let the world know, ‘cause that makes it real.” He takes her hand and squeezes it. “I know that we can handle whatever comes our way.”
Taylor can only agree. She leans against Travis and feels his next words before he says them. “And I really really can’t wait to show off my hot new girlfriend”. She can hear the cheekiness in his voice and she laughs softly.
She’s happy and with Travis she’s more than ready to face whatever will happen next, both after the Sunday game and everything that will come after that.