Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

London, 2021

Taylor hums as she moves about the kitchen, placing all of her ingredients in little bowls as she starts to prep everything she needs for dinner.

She’s excited for tonight, first time in a while she and Joe are hanging out just the two of them. She pulled one of her dresses out the back of the closet, a pretty, long floral thing Joe once told her was pretty. She’s even tamed her curls for the first time in a very long time, long and silky over her shoulders. She feels pretty.

She frowns when the sound of footsteps rush down the stairs and Joe appears, looking around for his keys.

“Joe? Where are you going?” Taylor frowns, clocking the jacket in his hands as he tucks his wallet into his back pocket.

“Just to the pub. You don’t mind, do you?” Joe asks and Taylor frowns, running a hand through her messy curls.

“It’s not… I was going to make dinner. We said last week tonight could be a date night in?” She frowns, looking back to the kitchen where she’s already got chicken marinating.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Taylor. I completely forgot. You know how hard this week has been with that audition falling through and everything. I could just really use a pint. I wish you could come too but probably not fair on the pub to swarm them with cameras, huh?” Joe smiles small and tense, winking at her as he zips up the jacket he’s wearing. Her face falls, she knows it does, takes her a few moments to school it, to hide the hurt that’s stinging through her.

Too big to hang out, Taylor frowns, the lyrics she jotted down only that morning whirling around in her head.

“I got wine,” She tries to counter, hating how pathetic she sounds. God, she’s like a kid.

“White?” Joe asks and Taylor feels a fire burn inside her at the question, as if it would make a difference. He’s clearly going out no matter what she says.

“Yeah,” She answers anyway. There’s a part of her, something buried deep inside, that’s screaming at her to fight back, to ask him how he can’t see that she’s dying here, fading quickly against the burn of his complete indifference.

“Bit more your taste than mine, isn’t it? I’ll be back late, don’t wait up,” Joe answers predictably and Taylor frowns, glancing back towards the kitchen again.

“Oh, okay, I…” She bites her cheek, trying to think of what she can do with all the food she’s prepping.

“Can I have a kiss?” Joe asks, almost expectantly as he stands by the door and Taylor shakes herself out of it, plastering on a smile as she rushes over to him.

“Of course,” She smiles, gently cupping his cheek as she kisses him. He keeps it short, pulling back before she can deepen it.

“Bye you,” He winks, ruffling her styled hair and Taylor feels her heart sink.

“Bye.”

He slips out without even a glance back towards her, leaving her to lock it behind him.

“I love you,” She whispers to the closed door,  heart heavy in her chest.

Taylor lingers in the silence for a moment before she slunks back to the kitchen. She cooks the chicken, eating a small portion herself before she leaves the rest in a Tupperware in the fridge, thinking maybe Joe will eat it tomorrow or when he stumbles home later tonight. She’d like his opinion on it, she tried something new with the marinade like he suggested last week.

She pours a large glass of wine, staring at the bottle before she just brings the whole thing with her upstairs.

Not like anyone’s here to see it anyway.

She tries not to cry as she sinks into the empty bed but as she stares at Joe’s side of the bed, she realises that the last time they actually fell asleep together was over two weeks ago and even then, it hadn’t involved any warm embraces or gentle words. Just a simple goodnight, from the other side of the mattress, which felt more like a desert landscape than a safe haven. She thinks of the man she fell in love with, the gentle way he was with her when they first started dating. It feels a lifetime away from this indifference.

She had what, a year of his sweetness? And now here they are, worlds apart despite living in the same house.

“Is this even worth it anymore?” She finds herself whispering. They’ve fought so many times over this, it always ending the same way. Both of them promise they’ll do better and nothing ever changes.

The tears come quickly then and it’s a mixture of them, and the entire bottle of wine, that lull her off to sleep so deep, she doesn’t even clock if Joe even comes home.

Taylor winces at the light as she slowly awakens, her head throbbing. She’s unsurprised, the amount of wine she drank last night was silly even by her standards, and she did not hydrate the way she should. The blackout curtains Joe insisted on usually do a better job than this though at keeping the light out and she wonders briefly if she was too far gone to even shut them. God, Joe will kill her if she let the paps get a shot of their bedroom.

“Shit sorry sweetie, just go back to sleep, angel,” A soft, sweet and very American voice sounds, making Taylor freeze.

Well, that’s not Joe.

Hesitantly, she cracks one eye open, and finds herself staring at an unfamiliar bedside table. It’s completely her style, antique, gold hardware, but she’s never seen it before a day in her life. It’s certainly not what’s beside her bed at home, where she fell asleep last night.

What shocks her even more than the table itself is the things laid atop it. A pretty vintage lamp, what looks to be her phone plugged in, and a water bottle the size of her head with a straw poking out the top are unfamiliar but not too out of the ordinary. Beside them though are three picture frames.

One is a photo she knows, her family in front of the sign at Pine Ridge Farm. The other two are what throw her off. She’s in them both, or at least it looks like her, but she’s with a man she’s never seen before. In one, she’s sat on his lap, her grinning at the camera as he kisses her cheek. His arms are wrapped so tight around her there’s no denying their relationship and they both look so happy. The second appears to have been taken on a football field? The same man is wearing a football uniform, there’s confetti falling around them, and they’re kissing. She’s gripping his face like he might disappear and he’s got equally as strong a hold on her waist.

What the fuck?

She must be dreaming.

“Tay? Sorry, darlin’, Dibbles started curling round my feet and I forgot about the light,” The voice sounds again and Taylor frowns.

Darling.

Joe used to call her that.

God, it must have been six months since she last heard it. It sounds so different coming from this man. From Joe, it’s soft and ever so polite, this man drops the ‘g’, a midwestern drawl to his voice, and it’s full of affection, like it might burst even from his words.

She also clocks his use of Dibbles. Joe always rolls his eyes when she calls Olivia that, says she named her with a name so why would Taylor call her something else. The way this man drops it so casually makes it seem like it’s normal for him.

There’s a heavy shuffling of feet and then suddenly her vision is filled with… man.

God, there’s no other way to describe him.

He’s massive, like potentially the biggest man she’s even seen. He’s crouching down by the bed to look at her so she can’t judge his height but she’s getting way over six foot by the looks of his legs. There’s muscle everywhere and since he’s dressed only in a towel wrapped around his waist, she can see he’s also absolutely covered in hair. He smells like musk scented body wash and something deeper and he’s looking at her with the softest, most affectionate smile Taylor thinks she’s ever seen. His eyes, which seem to twinkle between green and hazel, are just filled with love as he looks at her.

Her stomach flips.

“I see you, pretty girl, you faking sleep?” He grins at her, eyes dancing with mirth and Taylor frowns, something within her flipping as she immediately plays into it.

“Nooooo,” She pouts, cuddling down into the sheets and she hears him chuckle.

“No? Then you won’t mind if I just…”

“Hmm!”

Taylor squeaks as a massive hand lands on her cheek and lips press against hers.

The man pulls away immediately, looking at her concerned, “You okay?”

“Headache,” She tries to play off, hand flying up to her head. She hopes maybe he’ll back off, but he frowns, hand drifting up to smooth over her forehead as if he can soothe the pain away with his mere hand.

He pouts, as if in pain that she’s in pain, and then he’s shuffling her back down into the sheets, tucking them around her, “Oh, I’m sorry, sweetie. Here, you snuggle back down, I’ll grab you some painkillers, okay?”

“You don’t…” She tries to wave him off but he’s insistent and his hands are so gentle. She feels something tighten in her chest when he drops a kiss to her forehead.

“Shh. I’ll just take this too, needs a refill,” He winks, picking up the cup from her bedside table.

“Oh,” Taylor frowns as Olivia is suddenly placed softly on her chest.

“I’ll be right back, Dibbles, look after your mom,” He coos softly, scratching the cat behind her ears. He pauses for a moment, looking at Taylor, before he bends back over to gently kiss her cheek once more, slipping out of the room with far more grace than she thinks a man of his size should possess.

“You’re here too, huh, Dibbles?” Taylor frowns, looking down at her cat who, whilst definitely being Olivia, looks ever so slightly different. She’s far plumper than when Taylor saw her last night and she looks a little more gray in places. She looks up at Taylor, meowing softly before she cuddles down onto her chest and she smiles stroking her hand over her fur.

With her other hand, she reaches for the phone sat on the bedside table. It springs to life as she picks it up, illuminating a photo of Taylor and the man on what looks to be a boat. The man is smiling at the camera whilst Taylor kisses his cheek, sat as close as they can physically be and hands still intertwined. It’s a very sweet photo, it almost makes Taylor wish she could remember it.

The phone unlocks to her face, thankfully, and she’s released into a world of possibility. Knowing she’s only got a limited time, she checks a couple of things.

She flicks to the calendar first, a little overwhelmed at all the different colored notes that appear. She clicks pretty quickly that there’s a pattern to them, all the red correlating to ‘Chiefs’, green to ‘Travis’, pink to stuff with her girls, and blue to her family. There’s also a lot of things associated with something called ‘Showgirl’ that are orange. She stares at it for a moment, realising that the man’s name must be Travis before her eyes flick up to the top of the screen and widen.

August 2025.

Well, this is an oddly specific dream she’s got going on.

She moves onto her messages and sure enough, nestled between the threads with her mom and with Tree, there’s one with ‘Trav ❤️’. Curious how far her brain can go in this dream, she opens it.

Leaving camp now. You better be able to do everything you need to for the rest of the day from my arms. Can’t wait to see that pretty face, baby girl! ❤️

I’m not condoning speeding, but get that tight end here as fast you can! I need a kiss from you stat, it’s been nearly a week and I’m suffering from withdrawal 🥲

Sounds like a medical emergency, my Rolls come ambulance to the rescue! There’s already lights in the roof 😉 See you soon, sweetie! I love you forever ❤️

Drive safe, I love you forever, my favourite tight end ❤️

Taylor frowns as she reads through the messages. It’s normal conversation for a couple, letting her know he’s on her way, but there’s something so joyful about it.

I love you forever.

She can’t help but linger on that. Clearly an inside trend. Why would her brain come up with that only for her to not know why?

This dream is weird.

She scrolls back up through more of the texts, finding jokes and teasing and links to both otter videos and sourdough recipes. It paints a picture of a whole life, one she’s got no idea about.

Why is her brain making her dream this?

The sound of footsteps returns and Taylor quickly places the phone down, snuggling down into the sheets with Olivia. There’s a brief pause as the man… Travis… renters the room but then the bed dips next to her.

“Hey sweetie, I’ve returned with humanity’s greatest invention… ibuprofen,” He tells her softly, hand brushing her hair back and Taylor tries not to linger too much on the feeling. It’s been a long time since someone was so soft with her.

“Thanks Trav,” She tries the nickname he’s saved as in her phone, watching as his smile softens, thumb stroking over her cheek.

“You’re welcome, sweet girl. Hey, c’mere, careful there Dibbles. Yes, you’re very sweet but it’s your mama who needs my attention right now,” He coos at Olivia, picking up the cat and popping her back on the floor. Taylor feels her heart clench as he kisses her on the top of her head as he does so. Olivia meows softly but struts out of the room, clearly comfortable wherever they are.

“I got it,” Taylor tries when Travis just tilts the cup straw towards her, clearly expecting her to lean in and drink. She reaches out but Travis shakes his head.

“Don’t deprive me of this, Swift,” He chuckles and she meets his eyes with a frown, but leaning in to drink anyway. He hands her two pills one by one, making sure she drinks again after she swallows, and then she’s being gently settled back into the pillows, a hand soothing over her head.

“Travis…” She starts but she’s not even sure what she can say. She can’t just blurt out what she’s thinking, she’ll be in a hospital psych ward by the end of the day if she does.

“Right, we’ve got options here. There was a little bit of sourdough left, so there’s some toast, or I’ve got honey Cheerios or some of the croissants that Kumar left yesterday with the homemade Nutella in the middle?”

Travis starts talking, gesturing to a tray he must have brought up and Taylor blinks at it and then at him. Oh, this is beyond.

The last time she was sick, Joe had left the house and then texted to say she could get Drew to go get takeout when she asked if he could pick up some juice on the way home.

And here’s this man, with three different options just for breakfast, when she’s just got a headache?

“I… what?” She frowns and can’t resist reaching out to pinch herself, yelping when the pain sinks through her arm.

Okay, she was not expecting that.

“Tay? What’s going on, beautiful?” Travis asks, his own expression turning concerned.

“I… oh god, I don’t think I’m dreaming,” Taylor blinks madly, her fingers pinching along the skin of her arm, yelping each time it pains her to do so.

“Sweetie, please stop doing that, you’re going to hurt yourself,” Travis frowns, clasping her hand in his, cupping it gently with both of his.

“But I’m not dreaming, why am I not dreaming?” Taylor questions, panicked, feeling her heart rate elevate as her breathing gets harder.

“Dreaming? Why would you be…? Tay?” Travis counters, clearly baffled, even more so as she pushes against him and then tugs him forward, hands grasping his face.

“I… oh my god you’re real. This is real,” She blinks, staring deep into his confused eyes even as her breathing spikes and she starts to slip deeply into a panic attack.

“Of course it’s… okay, just take a deep breath for me, baby,” He tries to reassure her, hands landing on her shoulders but Taylor jerks away.

“Don’t call me that!”

The hurt in his eyes is real but Taylor can’t concentrate on that right now.

“Okay, I’m sorry, Taylor. I just really think it might be a good idea for you to take a few deep breaths,” He tries but Taylor’s way too far gone to concentrate on what he’s saying, her breath shaky as she desperately tries to gasp in air.

“I… oh my god, what is happening? Why am I here?”

Is she seriously considering the fact that she might be… in the future?

“Hey, can you look at me? Tay…lor?” Travis quickly corrects and Taylor just about manages to correct her gaze to meet his eyes.

“I… I…”

“That’s it, okay. Breathe with me, okay. In for one, two, three, four. Good. Now out for one, two, three, four. That’s it.”

His voice is calm and steady as he guides her through it, keeping it soft and Taylor follows him easily, as if a part of her knows to trust him even if her head is in a million different places right now.

“Thank you,” She whispers softly once her breath is back under control.

“Want to tell me what’s going on?” He asks, eyes so kind and soft in a way that Taylor knows she doesn’t deserve.

“I… Travis, that’s your name, right?” She asks, wincing as she watches utter bafflement cover his face.

“Yes,” He says slowly, head tilting as she looks at her cautiously.

“Travis, the last thing I remember is going to sleep last night,” She starts and he nods, looking over to the side of the bed where she awoke.

“Okay,” Travis starts but Taylor shakes her head, ready to drop the bomb.

“No, you don’t understand. I was in London, with Joe, and it was 2021.”

“Oh shit.”

Chapter Text

“London?” Travis asks, deep frown on his face.

Taylor fidgets where she’s stood, bottom lip slipping between her teeth, “Yes.”

“And it was 2021?” He repeats, his expression shifting to one of utter bafflement.

“Yes,” Taylor nods, picking at her nails.

“I… I really don’t know what to say. You don’t know who I am at all?” He starts to pace, turning back to look at her as he finishes and Taylor feels a pang of guilt run through her. He seems really sweet but she’s totally lost.

“I mean, I had a quick look through my phone. I assumed Trav is short for Travis?” She asks and she can practically see the words hit him like a bullet.

“Oh my god, Tay, I swear if this is a prank, it’s really not fucking funny,” He groans, hand running across his forehead as if he has a headache.

“No, I… I’m so sorry. I really don’t know what’s going on,” She winces, feeling a pang in her chest as she watches his face fall.

“Okay, okay, I… maybe you hit your head? Maybe it’s amnesia or whatever it’s called?” He asks, shrugging a little and Taylor bites her lip.

“I… I really don’t think so,” She tells him, not knowing why she feels so guilty.

“So, what? You think you time travelled?”

“I know it sounds insane,” She immediately waves him off, even though he didn’t really bite at her. In fact, his voice stayed pretty soft.

“Tay, hey, I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry. I’m just… oh fuck,” He paces a little as he speaks but when he looks at her, he freezes, head tilting and eyes widening.

“What?” Taylor asks, feeling suddenly self-conscious at the way he’s looking at her.

“Oh my god,” His jaw drops open, his eyes lingering on her hair and her arms.

“What?” She repeats, tugging her hair around her neck as if it will make him stop.

“You don’t… you don’t look fully like her,” Travis finally gets out and Taylor frowns, confused.

“What?” She asks, surely she hasn’t changed that much in four years. She’s 31 for heaven’s sake.

“My Tay, she… her hair, it’s longer, and her arms… she’s been working real hard on trying to hit ten pull ups,” Travis explains, looking at her with a slightly tilted head as he appraises her and she frowns deeply.

“Are you saying you know I’m from the past because I’m not as hench as your girlfriend?” She questions, her voice rising at the end of the sentence as she realises how ludicrous it sounds.

“I mean kind of, yeah,” Travis shrugs, hand scratching at the back of his neck.

Taylor frowns, completely baffled and totally unsure of what to say. What on earth is happening to her? She’s so out of her depth here.

“I… I don’t know what’s happening,” She huffs, sitting down on the end of the bed and Travis is by her side immediately. He leans in as if he means to comfort her, pulling back at the last moment, clearly fighting his instincts.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. We’ll figure this out,” He tells her as she leans her elbows on her knees with her head in her hands.

“How? What do you know about fucking time travel?” She bites but he doesn’t rise to it at all, shrugging his shoulders.

“I mean, I really like Back to the Future. Maybe there’s a DeLorean around here somewhere,”  He ruminates, looking around as if a car might suddenly appear and Taylor groans.

“Ugh!”

“Okay, sorry, not helping I know,” Travis winces, running his hand over his head.

“I just… I’m so confused and nothing here is familiar except for that photo and Olivia but even she’s different,” She sniffles, feeling the tears start to form in her eyes. She’s scared and confused and honestly, she could really do with just seeing Joe right now.

“Okay, I can help with that. Meredith and Benji are both downstairs and I can get Drew to come in, yeah?” Travis scrambles and Taylor frowns, her head popping up.

“Drew’s here?” She asks, her heart jumping at the thought of a familiar human face.

“Of course he is, wouldn’t ever leave his superstar,” Travis smiles softly and Taylor finds herself momentarily transfixed. She has to admit, he’s a very attractive man. Not her usual type at all. No one could say he’s ‘boyish’, this guy is all man. His eyes are sparkling, she can’t quite pin the colour down. It’s not quite blue but it’s also not quite green, somewhere in between, like something you usually only see in a gemstone. They crinkle when he smiles, as if his entire being is taken up by his joy.

“I… where even is here?” She manages to ask, suddenly realising she could be anywhere in the world. She assumes it’s not London from the way Travis reacted when she said it earlier.

“God, sorry, Kansas City,” Travis answers easily and Taylor frowns. Missouri?

“I’m sorry, I live in Kansas City?” She asks in disbelief. She’s definitely toured here before and enjoyed herself as much as any city but it feels… random.

“Yeah, I mean not all the time. You still got your houses everywhere else but um… I play for the Chiefs,” Travis explains, hand back scratching awkwardly at the base of his neck.

Right.

Football.

“And they’re the football team here?” She asks quietly, fully expecting him to laugh or roll his eyes at him but he just nods with a small smile.

“Yup, Kansas City Chiefs. Think you played Arrowhead for both the Speak Now and reputation tours? That’s where we play,” He explains so softly that Taylor almost reels. Who on earth is this man?

“Oh, yeah I remember those, lots of red everywhere,” She distracts and that makes him chuckle, nodding his head.

“That’s right,” He smiles gently and Taylor meets his eye for a moment. He’s confused and concerned, clearly, but there’s still such a clear affection in his eyes as he looks at her. She can only handle it for so long.

“I don’t want to tell Drew, but I’d like to see him,” She suddenly declares, tugging her hair over one shoulder and Travis clears his throat, nodding his head.

“Sure, okay. Want me to talk to him about something and you can just be there?” He suggests and Taylor nods, happy with the plan.

“Yeah, okay. You’re gonna put some clothes on, right?” She asks, purposefully not looking at where the towel tied around his waist is slipping. God, there’s a lot of hair on this man.

He looks down too, as if suddenly realising he’s not dressed, “Shit, sorry. Of course. Just give me two minutes. You want some sweats or something?”

“Um, yes please,” Taylor nods, shifting a little where she’s stood in her pyjama top and tiny sleep shorts.

“No stress, I’ll be quick, okay?” He reassures her softly and Taylor can’t help the soft smile despite the baffling circumstance.

“Thanks.”

Taylor’s mind reels where she’s stood, trying her best to control her breathing and not slip into a panic attack. She works through a few breathing cycles by the time Travis reappears, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, holding a green pair of sweatpants. He stops in the doorway to the closet, head tilting and a small smile crossing his face as he looks at her.

“What’s the smile for?” She asks, thanking him as she takes the sweatpants from him.

“Sorry, it’s just… you’re so pretty in the light like that, I forgot for a sec,” He mumbles, running a hand over his beard and Taylor freezes.

“Oh, I…” She stutters, not knowing what to say. She tries not to linger on the fact that she thinks it might be the first time someone’s called her pretty in over a year.

“It’s okay, I’m sorry, you don’t gotta say anything. You wanna throw those on and head downstairs? Here, I’ll turn around,” he immediately spins and Taylor glances, checking he’s not facing a mirror or something before she ditches the shorts and tugs the sweatpants up her legs instead. They’re soft, incredibly so, and embroidered with an interlocked TK on the thigh. They’re well worn, she clearly likes these a lot.

“I’m good,” She tells him softly and he turns back with a gentle smile, it growing as he looks her over.

“Great, let’s go.”

“How are you so chill right now?” Taylor asks as she follows him from the room, heading across a large landing and down a flight of gorgeous stairs. There’s artwork on the walls, pieces Taylor knows must have been her own picks intercepted with more modern interpretations and pictures. A reoccurring theme as they slip through the atrium and around to the kitchen are three little girls, clearly related to Travis by their faces, grinning at cameras. Taylor wonders who they are to him.

“I mean I’m not, but I’ve learnt over the years there’s no point in freaking out when it does nothing to help the situation. Plus, I at least know who you are. I love my girlfriend more than anything in the world. I’d love any version of her, and that includes you. So yeah, easy to be chill when I’m not the one who’s just appeared in some stranger’s house,” He shrugs, voice calm and steady in a way Taylor somehow finds deeply comforting despite not knowing this man one bit.

I love my girlfriend more than anything in the world.

That’s… a lot. She’s not sure she’s ever been someone’s first pick in that way. In a way that’s loud and clear to others.

“I… this is a lot to process,” Taylor blinks as they step into the kitchen.

“I know. It’s okay,” Travis tells her softly and they’re both distracted as a small cat appears, slinking around her feet and meowing, “There you go, that’s one familiar face. Let me go find Miss Grumpster.”

“Hey Benji-Boy,” Taylor smiles, bending to pick up her youngest child. She follows Travis through to a lounge area where Olivia and Meredith are both curled up on a very comfortable looking couch.

“Alright that’s one, two, three cat children located, but good luck keeping them all in the same room for long. Make yourself comfortable. I’m gonna text Drew, you want anything other than those? I’ll make you coffee,” Travis smiles, gesturing towards the couch and Taylor frowns, looking between the kitchen and him.

“No, I’m good, thanks. I um…” She starts, unsure if she needs to tell him how she likes her coffee. Surely not, right? But what if…

“Caramel, almond milk creamer, I got you, girl,” He interrupts her thinking, a small smile playing at his lips and Taylor blushes at being so clearly understood as she slips down onto the couch.

“Thank you,” She smiles genuinely, placing Benji on her lap. He waves her off, passing through to the kitchen and tugging his phone out as she does so. She cuddles up to Meredith, glad to see her eldest girl hasn’t changed much at all. Benji looks much the same too, if a little older around his eyes. They all manage to cuddle for about two minutes before Benji swipes at Olivia and deeply regrets it as they bound off the couch. Taylor laughs, cuddling into Meredith when she climbs into her lap.

“There better be clothes on and lips not touching each other by the time I get in there!” A voice suddenly sounds from the hallway and Taylor’s heart pangs out at the familiarity of it.

Drew.

Her constant companion.

She adores the man. Knows the intricacies of his friends and the girl he sees when he can, both of them joking they like the travelling and the time apart. He’s pulled Taylor off of bathroom floors and walked her through stadiums of screaming fans. He’s her friend before he’s an employee and she’s so grateful to know he’s here.

“You’re all good, Drew,” Travis calls back with a chuckle as he reappears, balancing three mugs in his honestly giant hands.

“Thanks,” Taylor smiles as he hands her one, looking down to see if the perfect colour.

“No problem,” His eyes sparkle with that warmth as he sits on the arm of the couch, turning to see Drew round the corner.

Taylor drinks in the familiar sight of him. It’s funny to her that he seems more unchanged than her actual cats. He has that same easy smile that the cameras never see and it calms her immediately.

“Oh look, you two have managed to separate. Call the history books, this may be the first time in two years straight,” He quips, looking between Taylor and Travis and it takes everything in Taylor not to frown.

“Alright my man?” Travis greets as Drew walks through the kitchen towards them.

“All good, Trav. You okay, superstar?” He asks, smiling at her curiously and Taylor does her best to paint a normal smile on her face.

“Yeah, sorry, just tired,” She waves him off, cuddling Meredith closer and he smiles, eyes softening.

“Already working on that thirteenth album? You haven’t even announced the 12th one yet,” Drew winks and Taylor laughs, tucking that knowledge away for later.

“You know me,” She smiles with a preening twist of her shoulders, eliciting a chuckle from both Drew and Travis.

“What did you guys need?”

“Just wanted to run through the plan for next week,” Travis explains as he hands him the third coffee mug.

“Oh for sure. Thanks, Trav,” Drew smiles as he sinks into the armchair.

“No stress.”

Taylor lets the soft lull of their voices calm her. It’s comforting to hear Drew talk about security procedures and specific plans. She does note that the tone seems a lot lighter than she’s used to, and there’s a lot more plans than she thought she’d ever get used to again. Dinner and nights out with friends and sports games.

It sounds… fun.

“Alright, I’ll leave you lovebirds alone before my retinas start burning again. The self-restraint must be killing you both. Catch you later,” Drew finally says, standing up with a smirk and Travis takes his now empty mug from him, clearly no pretence between them.

“Bye Drew,” Taylor smiles from the couch, feeling suddenly a little more okay.

“Make sure you behave, superstar,” He winks and Taylor laughs, rolling her eyes.

“As if I’m ever trouble,” She smiles, fully expecting the derisive look she gets from her head of security.

“I’ve got fully rewritten security procedures that prove otherwise,” He snorts, bidding them both a good day before he slips out, back to an annex of some sort Taylor assume.

Taylor smiles as Meredith jumps off her lap, brushing cat hair off her sweats and when she looks up, it’s to see Travis smiling at her with that same smile from before.

“Helpful?” He asks softly and Taylor nods with a smile of her own.

“Yes, thank you.”

“I’d call your mom and invite her over but she can’t really fly at the moment, she just had a knee replacement. She’s doing great, fully planned and went off without a hitch. She keeps calling it her robot upgrade,” He tells her and Taylor’s heart aches at the way he immediately reassures her, clearly understanding how important her mom is to her.

“Sounds like Mom,” Taylor chuckles, easily able to imagine the quick quip and the sparkling eyes of the woman she adores.

“Yeah, I could call Austin? Don’t know where he’s at but you know he’d drop anything. Or Ashley?” Travis suggests, already reaching for his phone but Taylor shakes her head.

“No, no, I… maybe I go to sleep tonight and everything goes back to normal? No need to freak everyone else out,” She shrugs, hoping that if she speaks it into existence, it might come true. She’s not been doing too well with her manifestation lately but who’s to say that continues four years on.

“That’s fair but you know they’d all do anything for you. There’s a lot of people who would,” Travis tells her softly and Taylor takes a deep breath, nodding her head.

“I know. Thanks again for the coffee, it’s really good,” She smiles, taking a sip and Travis chuckles, shrugging.

“My one forte, I make a killer cup of joe. Though my sourdough’s not too bad under your expertise.”

Travis is trying to maintain the light tone but Taylor doesn’t hear a word past Joe.

Joe.

Oh my god, Joe.

She wonders where he is. She wonders what happened. She wonders if she finally gave up or if something else happened. She wonders if he fought it, even a little, or did he just let her walk out? She knows it must have been her, something deep within her just knows. The indifference, the want for everything to just be, he would never walk away.

“Taylor? Oh shit, sorry, I didn’t even think,” Travis frowns, clearly understanding where her mind has gone and when she looks up, she immediately looks away, unable to handle the knowing sympathy in his eyes.

“It’s okay, it’s okay, I just… this is all very jarring. Do you think I’m allowed to ask you what happened or like will that cause a giant black hole to appear?” She asks, staring at the fireplace and Travis chuckles sadly.

“I mean considering you could literally Google it, I don’t think it’s wrong to ask but I also completely understand not wanting to know,” He tells her gently and Taylor takes a deep breath.

Does she want to know?

She’s always been too curious for her own good.

“I’m not massively surprised,” She finds herself saying, small and quiet, cuddling back into the cushions.

“No?” Travis prompts, not pushing but letting her know he’s happy for her to keep talking if she wants to. It’s so quietly supportive, it just sends her reeling further.

“No, we’ve been rocky for a while. On and off. What… what happened?” She asks, finally looking up at him.

Travis frowns, shifting to face her better, hands wrapped around the mug he’s holding. She can’t help but note the size of his hands once more, even as he speaks soft, slow and gentle, “From what you’ve told me, it all fell apart after you decided for real that you were going back on tour. He was very resistant to the idea and it brought up a lot of stuff you’d already been arguing about for years. I think the breaking point was when he suggested there was no way he felt you guys could get married whilst you were still working.”

“Oh.”

Taylor can’t say she’s completely surprised.

It’s an argument they’ve had a number of times. Taylor, feeling like she’s laid herself bare before him so many times, had the happy ending she’s always wanted dangled before her. He’s implied asking her to choose between her career and him so many times and she’s fought and thought maybe they’d find a solution. COVID had come at the perfect time, the world quietening and carrying them through the last two years. folklore gave them a shared project and she thought for maybe one moment this was their future but then things started opening up once more and he was back to his old ways. Chasing jobs, drowning in the rejections, tugging her down alongside him and not helping her at all as she desperately kicked trying to bring them closer to the surface.

She’s given endless empathy.

Maybe she just ran out.

“He’s doing good, he reached out through Tree a few months ago to say so,” Travis tells her softly and Taylor takes a deep breath, nodding her head.

“Good, that’s good,” She manages to say and she can feel Travis’ frown on him.

“Tay, should I not have said?” He asks so gently, she feels like she’s cracking apart at the seams.

“No, no, it’s okay, I asked. Nothing Taylor Swift hasn’t gone through before, hey?” Taylor shakes her head, managing a small smile and mustering the courage to look over at him.

She expects Travis to smile, chuckle even, and move on.

But he doesn’t.

He tilts his head, brow furrowing, “Whoa, hey, don’t do that. I know you don’t know me but I know you and I know how much you feel things. It’s one of my favorite things about you, actually. You’re the most genuine person I’ve ever met and I know that you’re holding back right now. I get that you’ve got no reason to trust me, but please know, you don’t have to hide around me.”

Those eyes are so full of love and understanding of her.

Genuine.

She hasn’t been called that by a partner in a long time.

Lately her and Joe have been arguing about him calling her spoiled, too used to her American comforts and ‘pop star’ lifestyle.

To sit here in this verifiable mansion with a man also in the spotlight, and have him call her genuine?

God.

“It’s just a lot,” She manages, her voice cracking as the tears well in her eyes.

“I know, sweet girl, I know. Hey, Benji, my boy, get your cute fluffy butt over here and cuddle your mama,” Travis sounds and she can’t see as her vision blurs but a soft weight lands on her lap. A small meow and soft fur brushes against her, Taylor instinctively curling around her boy.

“Thank you,” She whispers in Travis’ direction, grateful for him finding a way to comfort her whilst respecting a boundary.

“I’ll give you a minute. I’ll just be in the kitchen if you need me,” He tells her gently, lingering for a moment. She can tell he wants to do more and she wonders what that usually looks like. A kiss to the forehead maybe, a gentle hand rubbing comfortingly over her shoulder, a body there to hold her no matter what.

Everything she’s been trying to assure herself she doesn’t need.

Chapter Text

Taylor’s not sure how long she sits curled up on the couch, tears slowly falling down her cheeks.

She doesn’t quite have it in her to sob, it’s too odd for that, but she finds herself crying anyway. It’s not about Joe, not really, but more about the girl she thought she was yesterday. The girl who believed there could be a happy ending there, that there would be a top of this never ending hill, fairy lights through the weight of the mist.

It’s a lot to know that she was hoping for a whole lot of nothing.

It all feels so bland now and what is the worst feeling in the end of it all other than that loss of hope?

She wants to know more and simultaneously doesn’t need to know anything else. It’s all so baffling and her head genuinely hasn’t spun like this in a very long time.

After a while, she finds herself looking around the room, a little lost. The furnishings are completely her taste, but unlike the London house she considers to be hers and Joe’s (despite only her name on the deed), she can feel another influence here. It’s more than just childhood pictures and photos of friends on the walls, there’s a melding of tastes here. Modern art slipped in between the traditional paintings Taylor knows must’ve been her choice. Throws in patterns she’d never reach for but can appreciate how they fit in the space. A football trophy next to a Grammy on the mantelpiece.

She stands at that, moving over to where they’re placed so delicately. She’s never been one to stick accomplishments in key places like this, preferring the sanctuary of a music room. But here sits just one, next to his… a Lombardi she thinks they’re called? She squints to look at the plaque.

Album of the Year 2024

Taylor Swift

Midnights

Oh my god.

She does it.

She actually does it.

There’s a part of her that’s been dubious she’d ever reach that height again, folklore felt like a blip of hope in a quick dive towards irrelevance. But here’s the evidence that the darkness that has been seeping in her bones doesn’t have to stay forever.

She can move on. She can heal.

Midnights.

The ideas she’s been playing with recently swirl around in her head, she wonders if they form the basis of this record. This record that brings her to four album of the years. That’s… that’s unheard of.

She turns to look at the Lombardi.

Super Bowl LVIII

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

February 2024

Taylor can’t help but smile. She follows the halftime shows closely enough to know that the Super Bowl is usually right around the Grammys. What a month that must’ve been for them. She wonders if she went. The idea of just going to a football game seems insane to her.

Then she remembers the photo upstairs.

She was on the field.

They were kissing.

How many cameras must’ve been on them?

But neither of them seemed to mind in that photo.

She notes a small plaque between the two, squinting to read it.

To a double hardware season, from my world to yours. Congrats on your first Super Bowl and your fourth AOTY. No one’s ever had me, not like you <3

There’s something so sweet and simple about it. ‘Your first super bowl’. As if it’s a no brainer she’s a part of it. That last line, it almost sounds like a lyric.

She turns, spotting an iPad by the couch, smiling at the picture of Olivia that’s her background on this device. She quickly googles the phrase, adding her name after for good measure.

‘So High School’.

She daren’t play it, Travis is only in the next room and this is a very open plan house. She flicks through the lyrics page though, eyes widening as she reads.

Wow.

This kind of love… she didn’t think it existed outside of rom coms. The sweet, light, kind and gentle type of love, filled with laughter and joy.

You know how to ball, I know Aristotle.

Clear as day. We don’t need to match each other exactly in everything, just in the fundamentals. The rest is all just ball and Aristotle.

Her eyes find the album cover, brow furrowing a little as it clearly does not match the vibe of the song.

The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology.

She refrains from clicking to find out more, closing off the iPad and instead padding through to the kitchen where Travis is sat up at the island, slowly working on an iPad of his own. He looks up as she enters, as lightfooted as she is, a soft yet nervous smile pulling at his handsome face.

“Hey there, how’s it going?” He asks with an easy smile, closing down the iPad and facing her fully.

“I… I think I’m simultaneously clearer and more confused,” Taylor frowns as she steps fully into the kitchen, leaning back against the island as she looks at him.

It’s a gorgeous room, large French doors at the back meaning it’s flooded with light and a small breakfast nook in the corner is the stuff Taylor’s childhood farm dreams are made of.

“Yeah, that’s fair. Do you want another coffee? Or we’ve got a bunch of those Poppi things you love. You might not know what those are yet now that I think about it,” Travis asks, gesturing towards the fridge and Taylor finds she cannot take her eyes off his hands.

They’re massive.

Like truly nothing she’s ever seen before.

They seem perfectly in proportion with the rest of him until she watches him pick up the same type of coffee mug she was just holding. She needed two hands to balance it when it was full and she thinks he could probably balance it on one finger.

She can’t help but imagine how safe it must feel to be wrapped in his arms.

“Travis?” She finds herself asking before she even really realises what she’s doing.

“Yeah?” He asks, turning back to look at her. His entire face softens, all of his attention on her and she feels herself still, her heart stutter in her chest. God, she feels like a teenager.

“Drew kept talking about us being very um… tactile. Is that true?” Taylor asks, tucking her hair behind her ear and watching as his lips quirk, eyes crinkling.

“Oh yeah, we annoy pretty much everyone we’re around, but can’t help it. I’m the luckiest man in the world,” He grins, shifting a little on the stool he’s sat on and Taylor frowns, unable to think of anything but backseat arguments as camera flashes follow the car.

“But like what about the paparazzi and stuff?” She hates how quiet her voice gets, how unsure she is about it all.

“I mean, yeah it can be a lot sometimes but my main concern is you and making sure that you’re comfortable. So what if people see that I’m out on a date with my girl? They know we’re dating. What is it the kids say? Fork found in kitchen?” Travis keeps his voice still and slow, clearly aware that this is a difficult topic for her. His gaze is light but sure and Taylor thinks she could melt in the intensity of it.

So what if people see that I’m out on a date with my girl?

God. Could it really be that simple?

“Do you want to sit down?” He asks as he stands from the stall and Taylor bounces a little on her toes, awkward where she’s stood.

“No, no. I’m okay. I should maybe eat something though,” She frowns, feeling the weight of her hunger suddenly descend upon her.

“Yeah sure. That toast and cereal is definitely gross by now. I’m not the best in the kitchen but even I can’t fuck up scrambled eggs?” He chuckles as he moves to the fridge, quickly tugging out eggs and milk with a small smile.

“I can…” Taylor starts but he’s quick, shaking his head.

“Nope, plonk that ass down, Swift,” He tells her quickly and Taylor can’t help the giggle that escapes her, sinking down into the stall he just vacated.

“Well, who knew you get this kind of service from NFL players?” She can’t help but tease, watching the way he cracks the eggs over the bowl.

“Can’t speak for the whole league but I’ve been improving my skills for about two years now,” He winks as he whisks and Taylor blinks, watching his arm muscles move with the action.

“Wow, that’s… that’s wonderful,” She blinks, trailing off from the small bit as she gets just a little distracted.

“Damn,” Travis comments and the soft, wistful tone of his voice pulls her back into the room, eyes snapping up to his face to see him blushing.

Well that’s adorable.

“What?”

“Sorry, it’s nothing,” He waves her off, adding a splash of milk to the eggs before seasoning.

“No, tell me,” Taylor insists, leaning forward to rest her elbows on the counter and her chin in her hands. She tilts her head slightly and watches as he looks at her, before he curses under his breath and starts to speak.

“It’s just… I’ve spent the whole time you were in there convincing myself to be careful and reminding myself that you’re not mine, you know? Not yet. And then you walk in here and you’re just as cute and funny and gorgeous and it’s difficult to not fall back into how I am with her, you know?”

All she manages is a tilt of the head as she asks, “You really love me, don’t you?”

He seems a little taken aback at the question and he thinks for a moment, hands landing either side of his egg bowl. He looks at her with such a determination yet such care, Taylor’s not sure she’s seen anything like it in her life.

“You’re my whole world, Tay, and I didn’t know the you you are now, but I’ve heard a lot about her, and I just want to say… loving every part of you is the easiest thing I’ve ever done. I’m in love with every element, from the superstar who can make an entire stadium roar, to the makeupless sleeper who wiggles her cold ass toes all over my bare legs. People often say to me that it’s admirable how I can love Taylor Swift and Tay, but to me, it’s all the same. All of it makes up you and I love it all. There’s an element of compromise to love but not to the point where you lose any part of who you are. I see you, every shining, sparkling part of you, and I adore all of it.”

There’s no wavering in his voice as he speaks. Just a calm and loving tone. She wonders if this is how he argues too, clear and concise with a clear steady affection. It’s the kind of love she didn’t know was possible but has always dreamed of.

She thought with Joe she had it all. He loved the girl behind the superstar and she thought that was enough. She thought that finally, here’s someone who loves me for me, not for the fame and fortune. But she can see now that he resents her public image, which is as much a part of her now as the girl who bakes cookies at 3am. She can’t run from being public and she doesn’t want to. She likes connecting with fans and being out in the open, it’s the only way she knows how to be. He wants her to just be Taylor, but Taylor doesn’t exist without Taylor Swift.

And here this man is. Handsome, tall, effortlessly charming, and so incredibly understanding in a way she’s never encountered. She thought she needed to change to be loved but here, within a morning, he’s made it clear she’s perfect for him as she is. Warts and superstardom and all.

“I… oh god,” Her voice catches as the emotions flood her and she’s sobbing now.

“I didn’t mean…” Travis starts to say, a knowing smile on his face and Taylor shakes her head.

“No, no, it’s just…” She tries but the tears take over and she finds herself unable to speak. How do you explain to someone that the thought of a hope you’ve long given up on returning makes you sob?

“Tay… can I please give you a hug?” Travis asks gently and Taylor sniffles, wiping her eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, I’d like that,” She manages to get out, watching him blurry through her tears as he slowly rounds the counter. She expects him to bend and hug her in the stool but his hands are sure as he gently lifts her onto the island. She’s baffled for a moment before he steps closer and she realises they’re both at a much more comfortable height like this.

She can tell he’s done this a million times as his arms wrap around her, not pulling or tugging but letting her come into the warmth of his embrace. She can feel his hands on her back, big but not domineering. It’s comforting, like a hug from a grown up when you were little, so safe and cocooned in their arms. Taylor’s not sure she’s felt a hug like it since she grew in the eighth grade.

She moves into it easily, her own arms looping around his back to press her face against his strong chest. One hand slips up to cradle the back of her head and the care of it sends a fresh sob through her, throwing her deeper into his arms. His embrace tightens and a gentle coo from him runs through her veins like warmth from a fire after you’re caught in the rain.

“You’re okay, sweet girl. I got you.”

She can feel his lips move against her hair and the surety in his tone makes her sniffle, rubbing her nose against his shirt. She feels a soft chuckle rumble through his chest at that, hand gently flexing in her hair.

She feels… safe.

It’s scary to think how long it’s been since she felt like this.

It’s even scarier to realise how much she doesn’t want to let go.

Chapter Text

Taylor doesn’t know how long they sit there.

Her head against his chest, his hand cradling her hair, arms wrapped around her in the most soothing embrace she’s felt in years.

She’s so wrapped up in the warmth of him, the steady beat of his heart against her ear, so different from her own racing one. She’s soaked through his shirt but he doesn’t seem to care one bit, steadfast in his comfort of her.

Taylor can’t help but compare. Joe’s held her many times, he is sweet, there’s no denying. But she’s never felt like she can completely let go with him, except for the very beginning when they simply ran away. That’s why COVID had felt so restorative for them, she realises, it put a hold on all the outside pressure and returned them back to that world of just the two of them.

But now, things are starting to creep back in, and she’s not being forced to stay inside with him all the time. She wants to go out, to have fun with her friends, to go on talk shows and make public appearances, maybe even tour again when it’s safe. And that’s why the cracks are showing.

Without the hell of 2016, without COVID, would they have ever considered themselves to have worked at all?

Everything that feels so hard with Joe, Travis seems to just take in his stride. And she knows she’s not getting a full picture just here, but there’s something so refreshing to have someone seemingly embrace and understand her fame and not feel the need to hide her from it. She wonders if she might find some paparazzi videos online, that’s the real test.

Travis clearly clocks that she’s calmed a little and she shudders as his lips press softly to the top of her head. He freezes, before his arms stiffen, “Sorry, instinct.”

“It’s okay,” Taylor assures him softly, pulling back reluctantly to wipe her eyes.

“Here,” He says gently, reaching for a tissue and softly tugging her hands away so he can do it. Taylor lets him, trying not to cry all over again at the soft gesture.

“You didn’t upset me,” She reassures him as he finishes and Travis nods with a soft smile.

“I know. There was… there was quite a bit of this when we first started dating,” He tells her gently and Taylor frowns, her head tilting.

“And you stuck around? Wow, you must really like having a wet shirt,” She chuckles dryly, gesturing to where her tears have left a significant patch on the fabric.

“I was trying to start a new trend,” He winks and Taylor can’t help the giggle that spurts out of her. His eyes soften and he moves some stray hair away from her face tenderly, “But really, I get it. It was hard enough for you to get used to slowly, I can’t imagine how this feels.”

“It’s a lot, but hey, I’m a tough kid,” Taylor shrugs and Travis snorts, laughing a little too hard for her blasé comment.

“What’s funny is you don’t even know how funny that is,” He grins and Taylor shakes her head.

“Lyrics?” She assumes and Travis nods.

“Yeah. Alright, we stable enough for me to continue to amaze you with my egg making skills?” He asks with a teasing smirk and Taylor rolls her eyes.

“Come on then, wow me football man,” She laughs, crossing her legs so she’s sat fully on the island and Travis laughs as he rounds the structure to head back to his bowl.

“Oh god, you called me that in the beginning. It’s been a while since I heard you say it,” He reveals and Taylor grins, tilting her head.

“Why’d I stop?” She questions and he grins, eyes sparkling.

“I mean you didn’t completely but I think you think it’s less funny now that you actually know football,” He tells her and Taylor raises an eyebrow.

“There’s no way I know football,” She counters, knowing she couldn’t explain the rules past get the ball to the right end of the field for the life of her.

Travis just laughs though, shaking his head, “You’d be surprised.”

“So the Tortured Poets Department… that doesn’t sound too happy?” Taylor comments in what she hopes is a nonchalant way, spinning around on the island to face him fully.

Travis chuckles, shaking his head, “Yeah I’m not sure happy is the word most people would use. It’s a masterpiece for sure, but it’s pretty melancholic. There’s a couple of more upbeat ones on there, but yeah, even the one about tour you called ‘I Can Do it with a Broken Heart’.”

Taylor frowns, processing what he’s said, but then something clicks, “Oof, I mean… wait, tour?”

“Oh crap, sorry, I’m terrible at this,” Travis groans, shaking his head.

“No, no, it’s fine… I just… I did it?” Taylor asks, her heart jumping in that familiar way. They’ve just started talking about it. Joe hates the idea, especially the predictions for how long it might go on, but something deep within her knows that this is the right move.

“You did it. Most successful tour of all time in fact, wrapped last December. Best damn show I’ve ever seen, think I managed to hit 14 shows in total. Wish I could’ve been at every one,” Travis sighs wistfully and Taylor frowns, taken aback by his enthusiastic support and his clear joy at the whole thing.

“Fourteen? Did we get a special seat for you backstage or something?” She snorts, imagining the logistics of trying to sneak a man this large backstage.

“Nah, just in the tent, or a suite at the shows you couldn’t do the tents,” He shrugs and Taylor freezes, staring at him in disbelief.

She can’t help but remember the handful of times Joe had been in the tent for the reputation tour. She’d been so excited to have him there, but the moment they hit the car, all he talked about was how weird it was to have phones pointed at him all night and how he felt like he had to hide at the back of it. He told her he didn’t really want her pointing to him in case that drew more attention and so they’d figured out procedures for him to just be backstage, though he only made a couple more shows after those.

“But…” Taylor starts, trying to figure out how this man before her would even think about hiding himself. There’s just so much of him.

“Nah it was so cool, getting to sing along with you and dance and be able to see your reactions. One time in Dublin, I managed to surprise you, can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched that video. The way your face lights up, ugh, you’re so cute,” He’s grinning as he talks, keeping his eyes on the pan he’s now frying the eggs in but Taylor’s heart still gives a pang. There’s something different about the way he calls her cute, there’s no condescension, just genuine appreciation.

That’s new.

“I… the most successful tour of all time?” Taylor circles back to, trying to keep her mind steady.

“Yup! You went worldwide and like I mean worldwide. Spent the whole summer last year in Europe, Asia, Australia, it was so electric,” Travis looks up then, grinning and Taylor’s eyes widen.

“Oh wow,” She comments, wondering how extensive ‘Europe’ could be.

“Smartest woman on the planet for real,” Travis smirks, waving the spatula he’s holding towards her and Taylor’s eyes widen, blush spreading over her cheeks.

“You’re… I… I’m going to concentrate on the eggs,” She stumbles and Travis laughs, turning the burner down and pulling another loaf of bread out the bread bin.

“Maybe I should do that too,” He winks, finding a bread knife.

“Didn’t you say earlier the one you brought up was the last of the sourdough?” Taylor frowns, tilting her head as she watches him cut what she’s pretty certain is a sourdough loaf.

“Of that loaf. One thing to know about this house at the moment, there is always more sourdough,” Travis grins, eyes sparkling and Taylor snorts, knowing her own personality well enough to know that’s a her thing.

“Hyper-fixation?”

“In the best way. I’m the luckiest man in the world,” Travis snorts, moving over to the toaster.

“So you play for the Chiefs?” Taylor questions, remembering what he said earlier and he hums.

“Yup, headed into my 13th season. I’m the tight end,” He tells her, eliciting an immediate snort.

“That’s not a real position,” She counters with a dubious raised eyebrow and he barks out a peal of laughter.

“You said that when I first met you, thought it was a bad pick up line, which quite frankly, I was offended you thought I’d be complimenting my own ass when yours looks like it does,” He winks over his shoulder at her and Taylor feels herself flushing.

“Okay football man, let’s keep this PG,” She reminds him gently but she can’t keep the giant grin off of her face.

“Sorry, we’re not great at that,” He laughs, heading to find some butter from the fridge when the toaster pings.

“Oh I can imagine, how tall are you?” Taylor finds herself asking without really thinking and she feels herself blushing even darker as he laughs and answers.

“6”5.”

“Are your parents that tall?” She questions to deflect and Travis smiles, eyes sparkling as he glances at her. He’s clearly onto her deflection technique but he humours her, which she appreciates.

“Nah, my dad’s about 6”3 and Momma’s just shy of 6”. My brother’s about 6”3 as well so I’m definitely the tall one of the family even though I’m the youngest,” He explains and Taylor’s eyes go wide. Her family are all tall, don’t get her wrong, but that’s another level.

“Damn, those are some strong genes,” She comments and Travis snorts, nodding his head.

“You don’t know the half of it. It’s a running joke on the internet that my sister in law’s genes didn’t try at all with their girls. All four of them are the spitting image of my brother,” He grins, finishing buttering bread and heading back to the fridge.

“Wait really? That’s so funny. Four girls?” Taylor presses, thinking back to the photos in the hallway.

“Yup, light of our lives for real, most special little girls on the planet. Wyatt’s five, Elliotte’s four, Bennett is two, and little baby Finnley was born in March,” Travis grins and the affection in his voice is clear as he speaks of them.

“That must be a busy house,” She comments and he laughs with a nod.

“Oh it’s chaos, but like in the best way.”

“You really love em, hey?”

“I mean my brother’s my favourite person in the world and now there’s four little versions of him? Kind of a dream,” He shrugs and Taylor notes the soft tone his voice takes even when talking about his brother. It’s really refreshing to hear a guy so in tune with his emotions, especially one who looks like he should have the emotional range of a teaspoon if precedent has any say.

“That’s really sweet,” Taylor smiles, tilting her head and he chuckles, shrugging as he picks up the pan and slides his eggs onto the bread.

“Alright superstar, you ready to be blown away?” He questions, nodding back to the stool and Taylor jumps down from the counter, slipping back into the chair.

“Thank you,” She smiles as he places the plate and a fork in front of him. A hand comes up as if instinct near the back of her head but he seems to stop himself at the last moment.

“I live to serve, you want another coffee? Or some juice?” He asks, rounding back around the island and Taylor notes him shaking out that hand.

“Oh juice would be great, thanks,” She smiles, wiggling a little in her chair.

“Orange or green?”

“Ew, orange please,” She curls her nose and Travis laughs.

“Was just testing if that was a new hatred.”

She takes a bite of the eggs and is genuinely impressed to find they’re good, “These are really good actually, thanks.”

“I told you I’d blow you away,” Travis grins with a wink as he slides the glass of juice across the island. Taylor watches as he downs his own glass before he spins a fork into his hand, starting to eat his own eggs.

“You kinda just take everything in your stride, hey?” Taylor questions, her head tilted as she watches him, and he shrugs.

“Found it’s the best way to be. Life’s gonna happen, you can’t stop it, so all you can do is make the best out of whatever situation you find yourself in,” He explains softly, smiling handsomely before he takes a bite of his food.

“I like that,” Taylor comments after considering for a while.

“Thought you might,” He winks and she laughs.

They fall into an easy silence as they eat. Taylor thinks it should feel strange, eating breakfast with this complete stranger but after that hug… she doesn’t know, everything’s a little easier with him.

“So I do have a couple of meetings scheduled at the facility but if you need me to, I can totally cancel them?” Travis tells her gently as he loads the empty plates into the dishwasher and Taylor frowns.

“No, no, you should go! I don’t want to interrupt your day, plus I think I might just go and take a nap anyway,” She tells him honestly, confusion and everything just settling into her bones like tiredness.

“Sounds like a good idea,” He smiles softly at her but Taylor can see a spot of hesitation in his eyes and she blushes for assuming he’d just be okay with her being here by herself.

“You can like send Drew in if you don’t trust me,” She tells him quickly, reaching up to fiddle with her bangs and Travis immediately frowns, shaking his head.

“I trust you, Tay. God, of course I trust you. I just… I don’t want to tell you what to do but maybe it’s best if you avoid going through your phone too much? Like I just think for your sake,” He eventually stumbles out and Taylor takes a deep breath. Oh. He really is not at all like any man she’s ever known.

“No, you’re right. Too much at once and I’ll be… well, sobbing in your arms but without your arms because you won’t be here,” She babbles and he chuckles, head tilting with an affectionate smile.

“Right, exactly.”

“Curiosity killed the cat! Though I have always identified a little too closely with Alice in Wonderland,” She giggles, lightening the mood and Travis laughs a little too hard again, eliciting a raised eyebrow from her.

“Sorry, joke,” He snorts and Taylor frowns.

“Right,” She waves off with a smile. It’s funny that she thinks she can probably count as many inside jokes that she and Joe have on her fingers and Travis has made reference to almost as many in the morning she’s been here.

“Want me to show you where the bedroom is again before I head out?” He asks, gesturing to the stairs and Taylor suddenly remembers the winding route to get to the kitchen with a wince.

“Yes please actually,” She smiles gratefully and holds up a finger, heading back to the couch to scoop up Benjamin to take with her. Travis smiles softly when she returns, scratching the cat behind his ears before he leads her up to the bedroom.

Taylor climbs easily back into the sheets when they get there, Benji cuddled up against her and it’s not until she shifts to get more comfortable that she notices Travis lingering a little in the doorway.

“You good?” She asks and he shifts on his feet, running a hand through his hair.

“Oh, this is weird but I just… can I at least kiss your head or something? I’ll feel off all day if I don’t and…” He starts to ramble and Taylor can’t help but smile, biting her lip to try and hide it but oh my god. This man.

“Yeah, yeah, that’s fine,” She answers in what she hopes is a nonchalant way and tries really not to let him hear how hard she’s breathing when he comes over. His hand gently cups the side of her head, keeping her steady and Taylor has to resist groaning at the warmth and tenderness of it. Then he’s leaning down and his lips land right where her bangs are parted, meeting skin, and the kiss is soft and sweet and so full of love Taylor thinks she might burst.

What makes it worse is how much lighter and happier Travis clearly is when he pulls back.

“Thanks, okay, see you later Tay,” He smirks, brushing his thumb across her cheek which she’s sure is cherry red before he heads for the door.

“Bye,” She manages to squeak out before he leaves and once she hears the front door shut, she can’t resist turning to squeal into the pillow. When she sits up, Benji is looking at her dubiously, “Don’t give me that look.”

She sinks back into the pillows with a sigh.

This has been the most baffling experience.

Travis seems to be everything she never even thought was possible. Sweet, kind, caring, with a sense of humour and a respect for her life that far outweighs embarrassment or jealousy. She didn’t think it was possible for her to find someone who so perfectly could match her, thought there was always an element of settling.

She thinks of Joe and her heart aches. She loves him, she does, and she can’t just stop. But they’re not actively loving each other at the moment. They’ve tried to reset so many times and every time they’ve just ended up back here. It makes her so sad but it also makes her angry. She’s trying every day to be what he needs, to compromise and give up things that are important to her to make him happy and he’s just taking.

Taylor’s no fool. She can tell what the universe is trying to tell her here.

Leave.

It will be okay.

There’s more out there.

Doesn’t make it any easier though.

Taylor sighs, curling into the soft cushions of the bed and lets her eyes slip closed, drifting off to sleep pretty immediately.

2021

Taylor groans as she wakes to the sound of a slamming door.

It takes a second for her eyes to adjust. She’s at home in London, Benji curled at her feet. She feels hungover, as if she drank far more than just the wine last night and winces when she sees it’s the afternoon when she glances at the clock.

Something twinges at the back of her mind, a quickly fading memory. All she can see are sparkling, crinkling eyes and hear a laugh unlike anything she’s ever heard, melodic and deep and grounding in a way she hasn’t felt since she was young.

She shakes her head.

Must’ve been a weird dream.

“Taylor? Why are you asleep? It’s two thirty in the afternoon,” A voice sounds from the doorway and Taylor frowns as she turns to see Joe leaning against the doorframe of their room, still dressed in the same clothes as yesterday.

“Sorry, must have dozed off. Wait, are you just getting home?” She asks, looking him up and down as he takes off his jacket, ruffling his hair.

“I crashed at Paul’s, we didn’t leave the pub until closing. I didn’t want to wake you,” He explains, cooing over Benji for a moment and Taylor blinks.

“Oh okay,” She takes a deep breath, sitting up and hugging her knees to her chest, watching him stroke the cat for a moment.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Joe suddenly says and Taylor frowns.

“Like what?” She asks, her brow furrowing. She should let it go, she usually does, but there’s something deep within her today that is telling her to fight.

“Like you’re some abandoned child on the side of the road, Taylor! I went out with my friends, I’m allowed to do that,” Joe insists, shrugging his shoulders and Taylor feels that strength within her build as he immediately jumps on the defensive.

“And I suppose I paid? For everyone? Again?” She questions, raising an eyebrow and watching as he whirls around, face furious.

“How dare you throw that back in my face?” He asks and she shrugs, shaking her head.

“No, Joe, how dare you? You promised me last night was going to be ours and then you ditch me to go to the pub with your mates like you do every other night of the week and to top it all off, I’m the one who foots the bill for it? You promised me we were going to try, this doesn’t feel like trying,” She stands up from the bed, an anger she’s never let herself feel at this situation rising in her. For so long she’s rolled over and taken it but something in her today is not letting her let it go.

“I just… I need a life outside of you as well, Taylor,” Joe counters and Taylor could scream at the way he stares at her as if she’s some needy little housewife.

“I know that! I need a life outside of you too, but you won’t let me have that,” She bites, their last conversation about her tour still deep and painful.

“That’s not fair, I have never said that. I just said that I don’t understand why everything always has to be bigger every single time,” Joe stands now, Benji running out of the room, and Taylor huffs, throwing her hands in the air.

“Ugh, you don’t get it,” She shakes her head, running a hand through her hair.

“No, I don’t. Why can’t the art just be the art?” He pushes and she groans, confused as to how they’re on this topic, again.

“Because that’s not how this works! And that’s not what I want! And here we are again, arguing about my work when you’re the one who hasn’t taken a job in six months and is down at the pub every damn night,” She flips it back, knowing she’s hit when he freezes for a moment, staring at her before he takes a step back.

She never could’ve expected what he says next though.

“God, and you wonder why there’s not a ring on your finger.”

It’s her turn to freeze.

Ice spreads through her veins and she stares at him for a long moment. She struggles to reconcile the man before her with the one she loved. The one who promised her the world, who built a fire just to keep her warm. This man before her is a mockery of him, throwing the things he knows she desperately wants back in her face, dangling them before her like a cat with a toy. It’s cruel and vicious and everything she never thought him capable of.

“Get out,” Is all she can say, jaw set, and arms crossed.

“Taylor,” Joe tries but there’s no sign of remorse on his face, just resignation.

“Get out,” She bites again but he just shakes his head.

“No.”

“Fine, then I’ll go,” She declares and quickly whirls around. She heads for the closet, quickly changing into leggings and a hoodie, tugging shoes on faster than she does in quick changes back stage.

“Taylor…” Joe appears behind her and a hand lands on her shoulder, which she quickly pushes off, whirling around to look at him.

“Don’t touch me, don’t you dare fucking touch me,” She bites before she storms back through to the bedroom, scooping up her phone and iPad, throwing the essentials into a bag.

“Where are you going?” Joe questions and she shakes her head, already texting Drew and Erica to get a flight arranged to Nashville so she can see her mom.

“Somewhere on the other side of the Atlantic so I don’t even have to imagine the concept of your face. How dare you?” She bites at him, feeling nothing but fury. She can’t look at him. She needs to go.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Joe tries to counter and Taylor shakes her head.

“You shouldn’t mean that like anything,” She tells him, heart aching at the thought of how long she’s stayed, telling herself it will get better. Telling herself that once they make it through this next difficult path, they’ll be happy and they can get married and everything will be sunshine and rainbows.

She feels so naive.

“I don’t! Darling, please,” Joe begs, sinking down on the bed next to her and she immediately stands, throwing her bag over her shoulder.

“Don’t darling me right now!” She shakes her head, running down the stairs. Erica is already in the pantry, cajoling the cats into their carriers and when Joe sees her, he melts, turning back to Taylor with tears in his eyes.

“Tay, c’mon, please don’t go,” He begs and Taylor takes a deep breath, that strength deep within her that somehow seems to have steeled today helping her see past this last minute attempt to sway her.

“No, no, you don’t get to string me along emotionally and then throw it back in my fucking face the second I dare question you about anything. You are… God Joe, can’t you see that you’re losing me here? Do you even care?” She asks, her voice high pitched as she stares at the man she’s loved for nearly six years.

“Taylor, darling, of course I do,” He tries to cajole and Taylor knows he does, that he’s telling the truth.

It just doesn’t make everything else okay.

She looks over to see Erica and Drew handling the cats and she reaches for her coat, tugging it on with a sigh.

“You’re actually leaving?” Joe asks as she scoops up a few more essentials from the island before she heads to follow Erica out the door.

“Yeah, yeah I am.”

The door closes behind her but it is not until she climbs into the back of the car that the tears start. Through it all, all the pain and sadness, she cannot help but feel something more overwhelming that only grows as the car drives away from the house by the heath.

Freedom.

2025

Travis pulls back into the garage at the house, a little dubious as to what he’s walking back into. He hopes Taylor has slept most of the time he’s been at the facility and heeded his advice on avoiding her phone.

“Taylor?” He calls as he steps into the house.

He’s not expecting her to round the corner, dressed in a flirty little sundress and fly into his arms.

“Trav! Baby! Oh I missed you, how were your meetings?” She grins and Travis frowns, catching her easily and he can’t help the smile that spreads across his face as she presses her little kisses along his jaw.

“Tay? You okay?” He frowns, holding her back at arm’s length.

“I’m fine, what’s wrong? Wish you’d woken me up, wanted to see your handsome face before you left,” She melts a little and Travis frowns, confusion setting in deep.

He takes her in. Her hair… her arms… the natural way she’s looking at him… this is his girl. She’s home.

“Nah, sorry, weird dream,” He smiles, shaking his head to clear it.

“Oh? Want to talk about it?” Taylor pouts softly, hair flowing softly behind her as she tilts her head.

“Nah, you’re here now, that’s the important thing,” He smiles, tugging her back into a hug and she giggles as he lifts her ever so slightly off the floor, walking them both back into the kitchen.

“Oh baby,” She coos softly in his ear, stroking through his hair and his arms tighten around her. God, he’s so grateful she’s here.

“Whatcha making?” He questions as the smell hits his nose the second they enter the kitchen. He releases her and Taylor dances over to the counter where her bowl is resting.

“Cinnamon swirl sourdough, and I was thinking! What if we did sourdough croissants?” She grins at him, eyes lighting up and Travis smiles, pulled to her like a magnet.

“You’re a genius, never before seen kind of talent I swear to god,” He wraps around her from behind, arms circling around her shoulders as he presses kisses to her neck and she giggles, hands grasping his forearms.

“You’re cute. Sure you’re okay?” She asks softly, hand cupping his chin and he grins, pressing a long kiss to her cheek.

“Yeah, yeah. Hey, didn’t you have that meeting today?” He asks as she nudges his arms down to her waist, freeing her own so she can go back to work on her dough.

“I did! And actually, I’m going to need your help with the rollout,” She smiles softly over her shoulder and Travis frowns, brushing hair back from her face.

“My help?” He questions with a raised eyebrow. He’d do anything for her and she knows that but he’s a little confused as to how he can help with an album rollout.

“Well we were thinking that actually New Heights might be the perfect place to announce it,” Taylor grins, eyes sparkling as she looks at him over her shoulder and Travis freezes.

“Taylor… wait, are you serious?” He asks, heart pounding in his chest and Taylor grins.

“Deadly,” She confirms and he howls with laughter, wrapping himself tight around her.

“People are going to lose their minds,” He mumbles into her neck and Taylor laughs too, nodding her head.

“I know, it’s gonna be so funny, I can’t wait,” She giggles, leaning back into him as he squeezes her tight.

“Brandon might actually die,” Travis hums and Taylor snorts, nodding as she finishes up what she’s doing, wiping her hands on a tea towel.

“Also can’t wait for that,” She laughs as she spins in his arms, wrapping her around his neck.

Travis stares at her, still in utter disbelief that she’s his after two years together. He doesn’t know what this morning was, some kind of cosmic intervention or a very weird lucid dream, but what he does know is he’s so proud of how far they’ve come together and what they’ve built. He’s not going to take that for granted for a single moment.

“I… god I love you so much, sweetie,” He sighs, leaning forward to kiss her and Taylor hums into it, both of them melting into each other.

“You are everything I never thought to wish for. I love you more than anything,” She tells him as they pull apart and Travis sighs, stroking his hand over her cheek.

What he also knows, is he needs to get a solid plan to give her the ring that’s been burning a hole in his safe for months now. She deserves it and honestly, he can’t wait one moment longer.