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Chapter Text

Travis is a little surprised that she’s not in the parking garage, excitedly hopping from foot to foot like she often does when he gets home from an away game. To be honest, the thought of seeing her in the parking garage excitedly hopping from foot to foot has been the only thing keeping him going. The game in Brazil, the first of the season, had been a disaster from start to finish and Taylor’s little excited hops were high on the list of things that might have distracted him from the idea that the disastrous game that feels like it might have been an omen for the entire season. 

“Thanks, man” Travis forces a smile anyway for the guys that rush in to grab his cases from the trunk as he tries to drag his heavy, aching body from the car. 

“Welcome home, Mr Kelce” Drew offers fondly. 

“Drew, hi man” Travis greets Taylor’s head of security with warmth and respect. He pulls the smaller man into a brief hug. “Please tell me you didn’t watch that bullshit excuse for a game?” Travis tries to tease but Drew can see the tension in his brow. 

“Hey, touchdown Kelce, man” Drew nudges him lightly, trying to remind him of the positives from the game. “Heck of a drive.” 

“Thanks, Drew.” 

It’s not often that there’s a welcoming committee in the parking garage, except for Taylor excitedly hopping from foot to foot, and Travis can’t ignore the small tug of worry in his chest. 

“Everything ok here?” 

“All good my end” Drew nods. He doesn’t mention that he’s had Taylor on the phone twice already today looking for some reassurance. “You head inside, I’ll get those bags brought in.” 

“Thank you, Drew.” 

Travis lets himself in and dumps the bag he was carrying by the door. 

“Girl?” He calls into the house, voice booming and bright like you could hear the smile that was suddenly lighting his eyes at the thought of seeing her. His shoulders sag with the familiar serenity that seems to run through the house ever since she’d moved in. 

Travis kicks off his trainers and immediately bends down to scratch between Benjamin’s ears when the cat comes to brush up against his legs having appeared the second he’d heard the car in the garage. 

“Benji, my man” Travis croons, chuckling as the cat’s purring suddenly intensifies with the attention he’s receiving “where’s your mom, huh?” 

Benjamin meows as if to say this way before strutting into the sitting room, tail high and strides long. Taylor is curled into the couch and so still that Travis assumes she’s asleep. She’d been texting him non stop during his twelve hour flight home so it makes sense that sleep has finally found her. Travis bends to give Benjamin an affectionate stroke to say thanks for leading the way and then drops to his knees by the couch, his height meaning he’s in the perfect position to be able to brush her golden hair from her forehead and replace it with the softest of kisses. 

“Trav?” She mumbles, pushing up. Travis chuckles, surprised by the tears that well in his eyes at the sight of her, sleepy and searching for him. Taylor being his girl will never be lost on him. The fact he’s the one she reaches for when she’s somewhere between sleep and awake will always make his heart swell. 

“Hey, pretty girl” Travis immediately drops several kisses to her hair. “I thought you were sleepin’ the afternoon away.”

“I didn’t hear you come in” she muses and Travis can’t help but give a lopsided smile at her mussed hair. 

“Benj showed me where you were” he chuckles softly. 

Taylor smiles and then the game seems to come flooding back to her and she suddenly gasps softly, pushing herself a more upright. Her hands are immediately on his face, touching and stroking. “Are you okay? Are you hurt? I saw that hit, Trav and I-“ 

Travis waves her off with a quiet chuckle. 

“I’m all good, sweetie. Heaved my guts up when I got off the field but I think he just shook my damn brain, that’s all.” 

“You were sick?” Taylor asks, her brow furrowing with concern. He certainly hadn’t told her that in his nonchalant post game text. “Is it a concussion? Have you been checked out? Please tell me you’ve been checked out, Travis.”

“At least four times, sweetie” Travis assures her. He suddenly feels like the distance between them is too much and he moves to sit on the couch, unable to resist the urge to pull her into his arms and smother her in kisses. 

“Careful!” Taylor squeaks suddenly. Travis’s body goes stiff terrified he’s done something to hurt her but before he can question her Taylor lurches to grab the bundle of fluff that was snuggled up beside her, half hidden under a blanket. Travis blows out a huff of relief that she’s ok. 

“Shit. Sorry, baby. I didn’t see that you had company.” 

“It’s Mere” Taylor offers softly and a little unnecessarily as she settles the beloved Scottish Fold in her lap.

“Wow, we are honoured” Travis teases gently, hand already outstretched to rub between the cat’s ears. Meredith was usually very particular about the company she kept, and it was usually her own, so it’s unusual to see her snuggled up with Taylor in a blanket burrito that’s more commonly reserved for Benjamin. “Hey, sweet girl” he croons, lowering his voice as he lets Meredith brush up against his hand with her chin. 

When Travis looks back at Taylor it’s to see her sparkling eyes flooding with tears. 

“Hey” Travis breaths, heart clenching painfully. “What’s going on, sweetie?” 

Taylor gulps, struggling over the lump in her throat, head shaking but barely. 

“Meredith really hasn’t been herself” she admits, voice no more than a whisper. 

And then she gives the tiniest sob and Travis’s heart shatters.

“Oh, Tay.” 

Travis reaches out to cup her face and brushes her impossibly soft cheek with his thumb, not because her tears have spilt over but because he hopes it’s soothing in some way. He tries to think back and see if she’s mentioned anything about Meredith in their calls and texts but he can’t come up with anything. She probably didn’t want to distract his focus from the game but knowing she’s been home and upset on her own tugs painfully in his chest. 

“I’m so sorry that Mere isn’t feeling so hot, sweet girl. What’s been going on?” 

Taylor opens her mouth and then closes it again, mulling over how to explain her concern. 

“She’s letting me cuddle her, Trav.” 

Travis tries not to chuckle but it really is the most telling sign that Meredith isn’t firing on all cylinders. Instead he drops a kiss to Taylor’s hair. 

“She does seem unusually snuggly” he agrees softly. 

“It started after you left. She’s not been eating much and she’s extra sleepy” and then “look!” Taylor grabs for a packet of treats and Travis realises that there are at least three more packets littered around the couch. He’s actually half sat on one. Taylor rattles the packet and even puts a treat to Meredith’s nose but the cat only sniffs cautiously and nestles her head back down into Taylor’s lap. 

“Oh, Mere” Travis frowns, his voice a gentle croon as he scratches between Meredith’s ears “you usually bite mom’s hand off for those.”

“They’re her favourite!” Taylor wails sadly. “I woke up this morning and she was just here on the couch. She hasn’t moved since” and then Taylor admits quietly “I’m so worried, Trav.”

“Hey” Travis soothes, bundling Taylor into his arms and burying his nose in her hair. He takes a second to inhale pineapple and coconut, god he’s missed that smell since he left for Brazil. He can feel how tense Taylor is and his hands work to soothingly brush her upper arms. “Have you called anyone, sweetie?”

“Drew was here, I-“ she stutters “I didn’t want to be here alone if-“

“Hey” he soothes again, peppering her skin with kisses. It now makes sense why Drew had been almost waiting for him on the doorstep. 

Taylor’s tears spill over and Travis feels his heart throb as her face crumples. 

“What if-“ she stumbles “Trav, I-“ and then eventually “Trav, I don’t want to lose her.”

“I know, sweetie. I know” he soothes. 

“Drew offered to get Erica to find a vet but-“ she huffs out a breath “I don’t want them to take her from me.” 

“She might just need some medicine, baby” Travis reasons softly although he has to admit it seems a little bigger than that. 

“Trav-“

“Okay” he croons “okay. It’s your call, sweetie. She’s your girl, it’s always your call.” 

He feels Taylor’s shoulders drop down a little from her ears with relief that Travis isn’t going to make her hand Meredith over to a vet and he moves to press a kiss into the nape of her neck. 

“Is she eating anything?”

“She had a tiny bit this morning.” 

“Drinking?” 

“If I bring it to her on the couch.” 

Travis chuckles at that. Classic Mere. 

“Does she seem in pain?”

“I don’t think so” Taylor shakes her head “she’s just… sleepy. Not herself.”

He presses another kiss into Taylor’s neck.

“What do you think, girl?” 

“I want her to be better, obviously” Taylor whispers, her hands tangling in Meredith’s fur “but I don’t want anyone to take her. I just want to be with her.”

“Okay” Travis nods. “Shall I speak to Erica and see if she can find someone who will come to the house and check her over?” 

Taylor gave a timid nod. 

“I can do it-“ 

“You’re fine, darlin’ don’t worry” he gives her a smile and grabs his phone. “Let me make some calls. You stay there with our sweet girl.”

Travis calls Erica who promises to sort everything as long as he promises to give Taylor and Meredith an extra hug from her. Taylor gets increasingly anxious as they wait for the vet and her bouncing knee sends Meredith lazily crawling off her lap and into the space between her and Travis, stopping to eye Travis a little judgementally like they don’t secretly snuggle up together on the couch when Taylor is gone for work and they are both missing her.  

“Oh, hi girl” Travis gushes despite the look she gives him. He reaches out to pet her and Meredith manages a half purr as he tickles under her chin just like she likes. “Wished you coulda been in Brazil, Mere. There’s a few players that coulda done with that glare. Couple that coulda done with worse to be honest” he mumbles. 

Whilst they wait for the vet Travis insists that Taylor uses the bathroom whilst her lap is unoccupied but the second she’s sat back down Meredith is crawling back onto her chest. Travis kisses both of them and insists on taking care of them. He immediately reaches for Taylor’s water bottle on the floor which has long been empty. 

“Let me fill this” he says without asking and then when he’s halfway to the kitchen “did you eat yet today, honey?” 

“I don’t think I could, Trav.”

“I’ll make you one of those snack plates you bring up to bed when we’re binge watching shows” he says “gotta keep your strength up to take care of Mere.”  

When the vet arrives Taylor is almost vibrating with anxiety. Travis never leaves her side, Meredith squished up in between them as the vet examines the sweet Scottish fold. 

“You’re doing so good, girl. So good” he croons and whilst Taylor assumes it’s aimed at Meredith, her heart rate slows a little as he continues soothingly “you’re doing so good, you’re so brave, sweet girl.”

Without tests the vet can’t offer much. Meredith doesn’t seem in pain and she’s showing no signs of infection. They do manage to take some bloods which will hopefully give them a better indication of where they’re at. Meredith then perks up enough for a treat, attempts a small drink and ends up back in Taylor’s arms purring softly. The vet reminds Taylor of Meredith’s age and kindly explains that they should probably keep close by her overnight, just in case. They leave it with Taylor agreeing to bring Meredith in the following morning for a full examination if she doesn’t perk up with rest, endless love and treats. 

When they’re alone again Taylor’s tears come thick and fast. 

“Hey, hey, sweet girl” Travis soothes “I’m sorry, sweetie. I know this must be so hard.” 

“I know she won’t live forever but I’m just-“ her voice trembles “I’m not ready yet. She’s been with me through everything. She was like, my first big purchase with my own money, you know? I’d planned and researched and-“ Taylor swallows a sob “when it felt like no one else was there, Mere was. I’m just not ready to say goodbye yet.”

Travis knows there is nothing he can say to make anything better so he just bundles her into his arms and murmurs sweet nothings into her ear whilst she holds Meredith close. 

Eventually Taylor pulls back from where she’s half hiding her face in Meredith’s fur. 

“You must think I’m so selfish.”

Travis thinks he’s misheard her but when she shyly avoids his gaze he realises he must have heard right. 

“Tay, sweetie-“ it comes out on an exhale “I could never-“ he moves to squeeze her hand “what makes you-“

“Because you just got back from like a twelve hour flight and the game and-“ her thoughts tumble out faster than she can process them “you got hurt! That idiot, he was boasting about hurting you. He did it on purpose, Trav. And-“ a gasp “oh my god, Xavier. Is he ok? Are you ok? Fuck, Travis. I am so sorry. You’ve just been on a plane and you probably haven’t eaten and you’re probably exhausted and hurting and I’ve just fucking railroaded you with some sob story about a cat and-“

“Tay, baby-“

“You should just like, go up to bed and rest and like-“ self hatred blooms in her stomach “please, Trav. Go and get the rest you need. Do you need me to get like, ice or-“

“Tay” he repeats, his voice level, gaze desperately trying to hold hers despite how she tries to look anywhere but at him. Travis reaches for her hands and squeezes three times. I love you. “The only thing I need right now is you. You make everything better. And if you and Mere need me here on this couch, then here on this couch is where I’m gonna be.”

“No, Trav” Taylor shakes her head. “You don’t have to hold a vigil with me, honestly you must be like-“

“I want to be here with you. I want to be here with Meredith. She’s family, Tay. You’re my family.”

Taylor bites her bottom lip to stop herself from crying again. Travis just showers her in kisses, moving from her to Meredith and then to Olivia who has hopped up to join them. 

“Hey, Dibs girlie. Did you feel like you were missing out?” He fusses over her. “I missed you.”

“Her and Benj fought over your pillow every night.”

Travis chuckles. 

“They’re the same when you’re not here. House would feel so empty without them” he muses. “I remember when we first brought them here. Mere came out of her crate, looked around and then looked at me as if to say “really? Kansas fuckin’ City?” 

Despite her heavy heart Taylor still finds herself giggling at the memory. 

“She’s the same when I take her to the Four Seasons, Trav” she giggles “I wouldn’t take it to heart.” 

“Olivia and Benji just went in search of a comfy place to lie and Mere didn’t stop glaring for like, three weeks!” 

“They settled down soon enough” Taylor shrugs “they know this is home now.”

“They make it a home” Travis muses “like I said, the place would feel so empty without them.”

Taylor reaches for his hand.

“Love you.” 

“Love you more, sweet girl” and then “Tay, I know I said I wasn’t going anywhere but I stink like plane. You girlies gonna be ok if I grab a shower so quick?” 

“We’re good” Taylor assures him, giggling as Olivia tries to muscle in on the blanket Meredith is cuddling with “we’re so much better now that you’re home.”

“You have no idea how much I feel that, baby girl. Last few days were a fuckin’ reality check, let me tell you.” 

“Wanna talk about it?” 

“As soon as I don’t stink like twelve hours on United Airlines” he says. Meredith grumbles when he stands and he quickly swoops down to press a kiss to her fur “I’m gonna be right back, Meregirl, no fussin’ for mom, hm?” 

He plants a kiss to Meredith’s head, Olivia’s and finally Taylor’s. 

“My girls.”

“Bring Benj on your way back please” Taylor giggles “oh, and maybe another snack plate.”

“On it, baby.” 

When Travis returns he has wet hair, their comforter under the one arm, Benjamin around his neck like a scarf, a precariously balanced snack place in his hand and somehow he’s holding out a mug of her favourite fruit tea. 

“Thought we could make a den, baby girl” he croons, lips finding the nape of her neck as he deposits the bedding and Benjamin. “Drew asked what he could do so I’ve sent him to that restaurant Kumar recommended last week, told him to get one of everything that wasn’t too spicy. Hope that’s ok, sweetie?”

She hums happily. 

“In the meantime, there’s a snack plate and some tea to keep you going.”

“Thank you, baby.” 

He accepts her grateful kiss with a grin and quickly returns it. 

“Need anything else before I build this den of dreams?”

“No” Taylor hums, burrowing her nose into his hair, hands searching to touch him just so she can be sure of him “you smell incredible.”

“Not like United Airlines and Brazil?”

“Definitely not.” 

“Mmm, love you” he tells her between kisses. 

“Love you. Trav?”

“Yeah?”

“Can we sleep in the den? Like a sleepover with Mere?”

Travis can’t help but throw his head back laughing. He thinks of trying to curl his 6ft5 body onto the couch for the night with the deep ache in his bones from the game but it doesn’t stop him saying “took the words right outta my mouth, sweetie. We can stay here until Mere is feeling herself again.” 

It’s not like Meredith doesn’t sleep on their bed every night anyway but he has never been able to say no to Taylor. 

Travis gets to building a safe space whilst Meredith purrs contentedly as he piles up blankets and pillows. When it’s done Taylor steps back to admire his creation. She calls it the get Meredith better den and he calls it the how many fuckin’ blankets do we gotta have, baby girl den. Either way they both collapse into their couch den with a happy sigh, immediately curling up around each other. 

“Any news on Xavier’s MRI?” 

“Nothing” Travis grumbles, double tapping his phone just to be sure. “I can’t believe I fuckin’ hurt him, Tay. 13 years in the league, I should not be runnin’ into my own guys, you know?” 

“Accidents happen, baby” she soothes. 

“Doesn’t make me feel any better about it. I couldn’t get my head back in the game. Tryna play when all I could think about was hurting him was hell” Travis huffs out, his body stiff as he remembers the incident. “What if I’ve ended his career, Tay? I’ve had a career, a heck of a one, you know? And I’m bein’ greedy out here asking for more. One more season, one more year. What if I’m ending people’s careers before they can start just ‘cos I’m so fuckin’ shit scared to retire?”

“Trav-“ it comes out as a breath “that’s not what this is.” 

Taylor moves to cup his face and Meredith scrambles to push herself between them. Travis gives a wet chuckle over the lump in his throat. 

“It was just an accident, baby. It happens. You’re still playing in his league because you’re one of the best to ever do it. You haven’t retired yet because you should be out there playing and you are! Your team needs you. Injuries are sadly part of the game and X will bounce back, I know it. This isn’t your fault, Trav.”

“Sure as fuck feels like it” he sighs, nuzzling his cheek against her hand. 

“I know, sweetie” she sympathises sadly, pressing a kiss to the palm of his hand “did you speak to him on the flight?”

“Yeah” Travis shrugs “he was just X, you know? Totally cool about it. Even more chill than I expected. He’s manifesting a positive outcome, for sure.”

“And we know where manifestation gets you, hey?” Taylor smirks.

“In Taylor Swift’s bed? Alright nah” he grins back.

“Well, on Taylor Swift’s couch holding a vigil for her cat.”

His smile softens. 

“She’s gonna be ok, Tay. I know it.”

“I hope so. But how can you know it?”

“We’ve built a fuckin’ cool ass get better soon den, Tay. She’s basically got a magnetic forcefield around her right now keeping her safe, huh Mere?” Travis says, stroking under Meredith’s chin much to the cat’s delight. 

Taylor doesn’t get a chance to reply before a heavy knock on the door rings through the house. Travis quickly grabs his phone and sees Drew on the camera. 

“It’s Drew with dinner. You gonna be ok for a second, sweetie?” 

Despite her assurances that she’ll be fine for the thirty seconds that he’ll be gone Travis still leaves a mwah, mwah, mwah along her shoulder as he stands. Taylor isn’t expecting Drew to appear at the threshold laden down with bags.

“How’s our patient?” He asks softly. 

“Hanging in there” Taylor shrugs, lifting Meredith’s paw to wave at Drew. The cat hisses and Drew chuckles.

“She sounds more like herself” he muses wryly. “I’m not stopping. Trav has dinner” then as he holds up one bag he says “cookies from your favourite spot. Chiefs ones obviously because who doesn’t need a sugar cookie Kelce” Drew laughs before holding up another bag. “And then Steve took himself off to the pet store. There’s like, toys and treats, oh and he said there’s a special blanket for Meredith to help her feel better. He insisted I made sure to tell you that it was a get well gift for Mere.” 

Taylor finds herself blinking back tears. Her team always went above and beyond for them.

“Drew-“

“One more” he says, holding up a final bag. “Apparently if they won’t eat, tuna or chicken can interest them so-“ he holds the bag a little higher and Benjamin leaps off the couch to circle at his feet “if Mere doesn’t want it, it looks like you’ve already got a taker” he laughs. 

“You’re like, literally the best” Taylor tells him as he deposits the bags in front of the couch so she doesn’t even have to leave her den. Benjamin tries climbing in the carrier bag. “Please, Drew. How much money do I owe-“

“Don’t be silly” Drew waves her off “we all just want Meredith to feel better as soon as possible.”

“But-“

“I’ll leave you guys to it” he tells her as Travis walks in with trays of food. 

“Thanks again, man” Travis says gratefully. 

“Nice den, by the way” Drew grins. 

“It’s Meredith’s magnetic forcefield of wellness” Travis tells him with a wink. 

“That so?” Drew chuckles as he moves to quickly pet Meredith “hope it works, girl. 

“Seriously, Drew. Thank you so much” Taylor says gratefully “and Steve and like, everyone. Seriously, thank you.”

Drew nods.

“Remember I’m at the end of the phone if you need anything at all. Even for someone to keep Mere company whilst you guys get some rest. Just call, ok?”

“Thank you so much.”

“Remind me to give them all a pay rise” Taylor muses when the front door is closed. Travis offers her tray with a chuckle and makes sure to kiss her as he puts it in her hands. 

“Eat up, sweet girl.” 

They eat, they talk some more about the game and then Travis insists on hearing about the first time Taylor met Meredith. They watch shows, cheer when Meredith eats some chicken from Travis’s hands and temporarily banish Benjamin from the den when he tries to steal Meredith’s chicken quite literally from her mouth.

It’s late when Travis says “you need to get some sleep, baby girl” after Taylor has yawned six times in as many minutes.

Taylor shakes her head adamantly. 

“I can’t. I want to be there for Mere.”

“You are there for her, sweetie. She’s literally sleeping on top of you.”

“But-“ Taylor protests weakly. “If I wake up and she’s-“

“Tay, baby” he croons sadly “don’t think like that.”

“But-“

“I’ll stay up and watch her, I promise.”

“Nooo” Taylor whines “no. You’ve just played a huge game and travelled all fucking night from Brazil. Besides, she’s my cat so I should-“

“You’re both mine and I want you both to rest. Please, baby. I got this” Travis makes sure she’s not able to protest by busying her lips with a kiss. “Besides, I slept on the plane a bit so I gotta watch some game tape anyway. And if I get tired, I’ll wake you up and we can swap” he adds, if only to placate her.

“I can watch game tape?” Taylor wrinkles her nose. Travis laughs.

“I meant you can watch Mere but I ain’t gonna stop my girl from watching game tape if that’s what she really wants to do” he teases. 

“What I really want to do is to is sleep in your arms.”

“Then close your eyes, baby” he croons, rearranging her on the couch so she’s curled into his chest with Meredith curled into her. Olivia is on his shoulder, sort of and Benjamin moves to put himself almost on top of Meredith and definitely on top of Taylor.

“Comfy?”

“Trav-“

“Close those eyes, precious girl. I got you. All four of you.” 

Of course Travis doesn’t wake her when he gets tired, nor when he gets up every hour to try and coax Meredith into having some water. Taylor rests fitfully anyway, unsettled and waking frequently until she can see Meredith in the soft glow of the lamp Travis has left on so he can see his iPad.

“All good here, honey. Go back to sleep” he says when she rouses or “Mere just had a long drink, we’re ok for right now” and “close those eyes, sweet girl. We love you so much.” 

It’s actually Meredith who is harder to settle when she starts to get restless. Travis pulls her onto his chest until they’re looking at each other, almost eye to eye.

“You perking up a bit, girlie?” He croons, fussing over her. “Thanks for keeping an eye on mom whilst I was gone.” 

Meredith holds his gaze, looking at him as skeptically as a cat can. 

“You’re mad at me because I left?” Travis asked, a little amused. He’s not a stranger to Meredith’s cold shoulder. After training camp it had taken 6 days for the cat to even look at him again. The cat gives a noise that sounds like a grumble. “I know. But I have to work. I’m always gonna come back, Mere” the cat looks even more skeptical now. “I hate leaving mom. You know, the only thing I’m looking forward to when I retire is getting to be home all the time. But whatever happens, I’m always gonna come back. Your mom is my world, you know that?” 

Meredith gave the softest purr. 

“I love your mom so much. And I love you, your brother and your sister. Even when you’re giving me shit for going away” Travis chuckles, scratching between her ears when Meredith eventually leans forward with another purr. “That’s it girl” he murmurs when she settles down “I’ve got you.” 

Taylor isn’t sure whether she’s woken by the sunlight coming through the curtains, Travis shifting beside her, the ache deep in her bones from sleeping on the couch or the loud meow echoing in her ears. Refusing to wake, Taylor squeezes her eyes closed. 

“It’s too early, go ‘way” she mumbles sleepily into her pillow. “Have I ever not fed you in the morning? Be patient.” 

Travis chuckles as the meowing intensifies. Taylor grumbles again and then stills as a bushy tail brushes against her face. 

“Meredith?!” Taylor almost squeaks, eyes flying open.  

Meredith walks across Taylor’s chest proudly, tail high. 

“Meredith!” 

Travis’s laugh is bright and booming as Taylor scrambles to sit up. Meredith jumps off her and onto the top of the couch with the grace of a butterfly. Taylor’s jaw is almost on the floor. 

“She woke up in the night full of beans” Travis tells Taylor “she’s had two bowls of chicken, six treats and almost a whole bowl of water. She even contemplated a scrap with Benj just before you woke up!” 

He doesn’t mention that he thinks this might have all been a cat tantrum because Meredith was angry at him for leaving. 

Taylor cannot believe her eyes and when she opens her arms, Meredith hops back onto her chest brushing her head up against Taylor’s chin as if to say chill out mom, I’m fine.

“Oh, baby” Taylor breaths, eyes filling with tears as she tries to take in her beloved cat “you’re ok? You’re really ok?” 

“She seems much brighter” Travis confirms happily “don’t you, girl?” 

Meredith meows.

“Oh my god” Taylor gasps, hands shaking as she pushes them to her mouth to stop the sob she’s sure is coming “oh my god.”

“Hey, hey, hey” Travis croons, moving to pull Taylor into his lap. She grasps for his shirt. “Oh, sweetie.”

He smoothes her hair. 

“I’m just so happy, Trav.”

“I know, honey. Me too” he soothes “all your amazing TLC did her the word of good, hm?” 

Taylor nods, a small noise escaping her lips as she tries to breathe and not cry all at once. 

“Do you think she’ll be ok, now?” She asks, voice small. 

“We can only wait and see, darlin’ but I really hope so.”

“Me too” Taylor hums as Travis uses the opportunity to shower her in soft kisses. 

When Taylor is over the shock of Meredith’s seemingly miraculous recovery, she insists they set up an assault course so that Meredith can prove her health and agility. The cat tolerates it for approximately three and a half minutes (longer than Travis had money on, actually) before hissing and taking herself off to the music room to lounge in the early morning sun. When Benjamin learns that there’s treats to be had he’s suddenly performing all his tricks all at once for Taylor and Travis who laugh until their stomachs hurt. Olivia watches on quietly amused and happy enough when Travis feeds her treats without her having to do any sort of performance art. 

Eventually all the cats scarper leaving Travis at the hob making pancakes and Taylor sat on the kitchen island swinging her legs where Travis put her and insisted she stay sat. 

“Love you so much” he muses, walking towards her in one long stride and slotting himself in between her thighs. His lips are soon on hers. 

“Love you” she tells him in between kisses. “Even more for sitting up all night to make sure Mere was ok actually.” 

“I’m always going to look after my family, Tay.” 

Her heart threatens to melt. 

“Love you” she tells him again, hands playing with his t-shirt to keep him close. “I think I’m still going to take Mere to the vets today, just to be sure.” 

“We can absolutely do that. Why don’t we take all 3? Get them a full inspection, you know?” 

Taylor nods, grabbing for his hands so she can squeeze them. 

“So they can live forever?” 

Travis chuckles. 

“If we can make that happen girl, we will.” 

“Like when we did the parental upgrades over the summer.”

“Sounds good, sweetie” Travis laughs. “Do I need any upgrades?”

“No. You’re perfect to me.”

“Love you.”

“Wait” Taylor giggles, pulling back before he can kiss her. “Do I need any upgrades?”

“Just two.”

Taylor’s heart stutters in her chest. 

“Oh?”

“Well, you’re completely perfect, obviously. But firstly-“ Travis says, reaching for her left hand “we need to upgrade this-“ his large thumb brushes over the equally large diamond on her engagement ring “to a wedding ring” he tells her, lips against her forehead and his breath hot on her skin “need you to be mine forever.”

Taylor giggles, the tension in her chest immediately dissipating. 

“I am yours forever, Trav.”

“Can’t wait to marry you” he mumbles, his voice muffled by his lips on her skin. Taylor’s eyes practically turn into hearts. 

“I’ve never loved anyone like I love you.”

“You tryna kill me, sweetie?” He almost groans but she’s quickly pulling back and Travis is grumbling as he attempts to pull her back into his chest but she wriggles away “stop it” he pouts. 

“But you said two upgrades. What’s the other one?”

“Oh” Travis chuckles “yeah.”

“What?” She almost whines as his face breaks into a grin. 

His large hands cup the air in front of her stomach. 

“Need you like, out here with my baby, sweetie.” 

It takes everything in Taylor not to drag him to the bedroom right there and then. 

“Yeah?” Taylor bites her lip shyly. 

“Yeah” Travis nods, gaze holding hers “can’t come soon enough, girl.” 

Love and warmth blooms in her chest. 

“But cat upgrades first, obviously!” He chuckles. “Come on, girl, scooch that butt down and come and eat these pancakes so we can get the divas to the vet.“

Chapter Text

It feels like everyone watches the first show in Wembley after the cancelled dates in Vienna with their breath held. 

Her mom and dad somehow make it underneath the stage before the lift has even reached the ground and Taylor walks straight into Andrea’s open arms. They both sniff softly, faces buried in each other’s shoulders. 

“I’m so proud of you honey” is all Andrea can manage. Scott squeezes Taylor’s shoulder knowing her daughter’s preference for her mom when there are tears in her eyes and words to be said that none of them can find. 

“Thank you for being here” Taylor manages, allowing the several kisses that are pressed into her sweaty, tousled hair by her mom. Eventually Taylor pulls back, unable to stifle her patience any longer and Scott knows exactly what she’s after. He hands her the phone he’s been taking care of because he likes to take video after video during the show so she can watch them back one day.

“Thanks, dad.”

“It hasn’t stopped going off” Scott laughs softly. Her phone had buzzed several times during the show. “I think he’s eager for you to call!” 

Taylor can’t help the way her heart leaps at the thought of Travis. Pure, unbridled joy spills over in the form of a few more tears. Years ago she could have only dreamt of this; performing to sold out stadiums and having someone who loves her so much waiting in the wings (this time the wings being St Joe, Missouri because Travis is still stuck at training camp but he’s with her in spirit). 

Taylor manages to briefly stand still for the time it takes for someone to remove her mic pack and for Tree to insist she drinks some water before she’s calling his number, rushing towards her dressing room. The second the call connects and his familiar face fills the screen, she hears his voice crack. 

“Tay-“ there’s a breathlessness to his voice that has a lump tugging painfully in her own throat. “I’m so fuckin’ proud of you, girl.” 

“Trav” her own voice threatens to crack “I’m so happy. We did it.” 

His smile lights his whole face, his eyes glittering. 

“I’m so proud of you” he repeats. “You fuckin’ killed it, baby.” 

“Did you watch it?”

“Every second, sweetie. You absolutely killed it. 92,000 people, baby!” 

His excitement is infectious and her smile grows, tears almost forgotten. 

“Did you see Ed? It was so kind of him to come out and sing with me.”

“I saw every second, girl” he tells her again, needing her to know it’s true. “You two were fuckin’ electric. Did it feel electric?” 

A laugh bubbles out of Taylor’s mouth as she remembers their conversation after the Super Bowl. Sometimes she’s glad moments of her life are caught on camera so she can preserve them forever, moments that might otherwise have been forgotten in an elated but jet lagged haze. 

“Electric” she confirms. 

“Hey, Tay?”

“Hm?”

Travis grins, holding up his empty fist but pretending to grasp at something. 

“I caught your arrow.” 

She gives a wet laugh. 

The archer has been his pre-game pose for years but it has new meaning since she’s come into his life and now Taylor will often throw an archer pose into her own show, especially if she knows he’s watching from afar. 

“Good. It was meant to find you.”

“Oh it found me girl, you already know.”

There’s a wistful smile and then he grins again. 

“And those surprise songs” Travis enthuses. “Sweetie, you had me in tears! Not that it takes much” he gives a soft laugh, worried that her smile has fallen “you have no idea how much I love you, Tay. I’ve never been so proud in my life.” 

“The songs were for you” she whispers, emotional again. She’s so proud of herself and her team for getting through the show but she knows it all would have been impossible without Travis. 

“I know” he assures her “I felt them here” he taps his chest. 

“I had to sing them. I needed to say thank you.”

“Oh, sweet girl. For what?” 

“This week. Last week. The week before. But this week the most. I don’t know how I would have got through it without you.”

What happened in Vienna has infiltrated their lives in a way neither of them will ever be able to fully grasp. It’s a good job they’ve both got money in the bank because their phone bills this month will be extortionate after spending every available minute on an international call to each other ever since the news had broken. Travis has been there when she’s called in the middle of the night after a dream (nightmare) or when she wants to talk about the future, which she suddenly seems to realise is more of a blessing than a given. He’s there when she makes him promise to help Austin take care of her parents if anything were to happen to her. He’d actually cried ugly tears and begged her to stop but she needed to get it out and she’d felt better for their conversation because it had been weighing heavily on her mind since the news had broke. 

He’s there when she calls him panicking about his upcoming game. 

“I just saw that the game is in a stadium, Travis!”

“That’s where we play football Tay” he tried, voice light despite the way his heart pounded painfully at the sound of her ragged breathing. She knows they play in stadiums because she insists on coming to every game that is logistically possible for her but that didn’t stop her heart rate doubling when she saw it somewhere on social media. She doesn’t want him in a stadium, not after this past week. 

“Please don’t go! I don’t want you to go.”

He’s been there at breakfast reminding her she needs to eat to be strong enough to put on a show for the fans when it’s safe enough to and he’s been there when she’s been beating herself up about whether or not to go ahead with the end of tour party. 

“You can wait and do it after London” he’d reasoned. “But it’ll mean staying in London a few more days and-“ 

“No!”

That had been the decider. The party had to be before the London shows because she couldn’t wait any longer to see him. 

They are both completely drained. But there’s only a few sleeps between now and when he can hold her for the first time in a month. They’re so close now.

“We’re a team, Tay” Travis shrugs. “We’ve dealt with it together. You’ve been so fuckin’ brave, baby. I would have cancelled the rest of the tour and hidden out in KC but not you” he shakes his head “you went back out there and you faced it. I’m am so proud of you, girl.” 

“I love you so much.”

“I love you so much more, honey. Where’s your mom and dad?”

“Waiting for me to get changed.”

“You best hurry then, sweetie. You’ve got to rest before tomorrow’s show” he reminds her softly “besides, you know I’m not going to breathe properly until you’re out of there.”

Travis hears her breath hitch anxiously and he immediately regrets saying anything.

“You think something could still happen?” She asks, voice hitching. He’s been trying so hard to hide his fear but he’s almost worn the carpet out in his dorm during the show pacing up and down, willing it to be over so she could get out of there. But now he’s spooked her and he knows it. 

“Sorry, sweetie. Ignore me. Everyone is workin’ so hard to keep that place safe.”

“But-“

“Until you’re here in my arms, you know I’ll always be worryin’ but you’re safe, Tay.”

“Do you think they’ll mind if I go back to the hotel in this?” She asks quietly.

“You still in that sexy as fuck supersuit, sweet girl?” 

“Yeah. I just want to get out of here” she tells him and Travis knows that’s his fault for making her question her safety. “Do you think they’ll mind?”

“They don’t mind when I take you back to the hotel in it” Travis teases trying to make her laugh as he watches her grab her things and move through the stadium.

“They mind when I bring it back ripped the next day though” she reminds him. Travis throws his head back laughing.

“Love you so much, girl. What a night, huh?”

“Wish you were here tonight” she hums wistfully but thinking more of falling asleep in his arms and finally feeling safe rather than anything else.  

“6 sleeps, baby girl.”

“Feels like a lifetime” she sighs. 

“Have you called the cars?”

“Dad’s done it” she nods, finding her family in a back alley of the stadium and standing as close to her mom as she can. 

“Good” Travis can’t let himself breathe a sigh of relief just yet but knowing she’s getting ready to leave the stadium eases the tension in his chest a little. 

When they arrive back at the hotel, Travis insists on letting her spend time with her parents without him on the end of the phone. 

“We don’t mind” Scott assures him. 

“I appreciate that” Travis laughs “but you’ve flown halfway across the world to see your girl, you deserve at least one uninterrupted meal with her."

Minutes after he hangs up, a picture of the menu comes via text. 

‘Pick something for me.’ Came Taylor’s request. 

It wasn’t wholly unusual. She was a foodie, for sure but if Taylor wasn’t feeling her best, her appetite was always the first thing to go. Travis had spent all week in constant communication with those around her to keep her eating 3 meals a day.

‘Chicken tenders and fries girl, no question!!’ 

He gets a picture back from Andrea of said chicken tenders and Taylor’s beaming face. 

Travis is on his way out to celebrate the end of training camp with the guys when she calls again. When his screen loads he sees Taylor sat cross legged on the bed, head in her hands, the phone propped up in front of her somehow. Travis can see Scott sat beside her and Andrea on the other side so he knows she’s safe, but he also knows that something is wrong. 

“Tay?” 

“I know I’m safe. I know I can breathe. I know mom and dad are here. But my whole body feels like it’s vibrating. It feels like there’s static in my teeth. And in my arms, and legs. My hands are stuck in this claw! I can’t move my thumbs. Look.” 

Travis can hear her teeth chattering as she talks but her voice is much more assured than he was expecting and there’s no tears that he can see. He gives a long breath to steady himself, heart physically aching that he can’t reach out and hold her. 

“Oh, girl” Travis gives her a sad smile. Even in moments like this he’s still blown away by her strength. “You know what’s happenin’?”

“No” she whimpers, tears threatening. 

“All that adrenaline you’ve been feeding off all day has run out, that’s all” Travis tells her, his voice as soft as she’s known it. “You’re so brave, Tay. The first time that happened to me I cried like a baby in Pat’s arms” he gives her a laugh that has the tension in her jaw releasing a little. 

“This has happened to you?” She whispers, slowly fighting the tension in her body to move her hands from her face. It feels painful to try and move her thumbs and she whimpers, giving into the claw position her hands seem set in. 

“Once or twice” Travis laughs gently. “The first time was after my first Super Bowl. We’d been training like hell for weeks and weeks. When we won it was elation like I’d never felt and then a few hours later I was like you are now. I was so scared. I somehow called Pat and he found me in the bathroom of some club, cryin’ like a baby.” 

“How do I fix it?” Taylor asks, eyes glistening with unshed tears. She whimpers again, frustrated at the lack of control she seems to have over her shaking body. 

“You’re okay” Andrea croons “we’ve got you.”

“You gotta breathe, girlie. We gotta relax all those tense muscles. Can you do that with me?” 

“Breathe?”

“Yeah girl, that’s all” he nods “just breathe.”

A sniff and then a quiet “I can do that.” 

“Know you can, baby. In through your nose Tay, all the way from the bottom of your diaphragm, just like when you’re singing.”

He takes the first two breaths alone but the third is done with Scott and Andrea, the fourth with Scott, Andrea and Taylor. Then Taylor falters, the tears forcing their way up her aching throat. Travis spots her sob before it can even leave her lips. 

“You know, I heard a good song about breathing once. I think it was from a doctor. You might know her actually-“ he laughs and the noise holds her attention. “Doctor Swift. She said uh, now let me think” he taps his chin if only to keep her looking at him “breathe in, breathe through, breathe deep…”

“Breathe out” Taylor finishes for him, voice a whisper. 

“Atta girl. Show me.” 

They breathe together until her shoulders have moved down from her ears. She tells him that the static in her teeth is lessening but she still can’t move her locked thumbs and it is frustrating her to the point that Travis is scared she’s going to start sobbing. 

Andrea takes her daughter’s hands in hers, trying to massage them enough to loosen her tense muscles. 

“Travis?” 

“Yes, baby?” 

“Can you tell me again?” She whispers shyly. 

“Even with your mom and dad there?” He asks carefully. Taylor nods her head. 

All week Travis has tried everything to comfort her, or to help her sleep, or just distract her enough that she’d eat something. The first time he’d tried talking to her about their wedding day. What they’d wear, what they’d eat, who would be there. Perhaps brave for a man who hadn’t yet proposed but Taylor hadn’t even flinched. Except the thought of seeing Taylor at the end of the aisle in her wedding dress had brought Travis to tears and then he realised he’d have to write his own vows to at least try and explain how his life had only really started when he’d met her but knowing that no words would ever be enough had sent him spiralling. And even if he did find the right words, he’d never been able to stop crying long enough to say them. His anxiety had spiked hers and Travis had quickly moved on to something else to calm them both down. In bed that night, to avoid panicking about the vows that would never be enough, he’d thought instead about their family and what he’d hoped that might look like. When Taylor had called a few hours later, shaken from a meeting with her head of security, he’d carefully shared those thoughts with her. 

And then whenever she’d called over the next few days she’d often asked to hear it. 

“Tell me.” 

“Ok. What bit do you wanna hear, honey?”

“When we come home. I want to be home. No one else, just us.”

“Ok” he nods. “Actually I was thinking that I want to be the one to drive us home, if security will let me. Me, in the front and then you in the back with the baby. And I’ll drive so slow because I’ll be fuckin’ terrified and the cops will probably pull us over” he laughs softly “and when we get home it’ll just be us, and the cats of course. I’ll carry the little one inside and-“

“Is it a boy or a girl?”

“A girl today” Travis tells her. Yesterday when he’d told her, it had been a boy but his mind keeps changing. “Seems like Kelce men make cute baby girls.” 

“I’d like that” Taylor muses, gingerly moving her thumb in her mother’s hand as she starts to relax. “Can I carry her inside?”

“I think you’ll need some free hands to fuss over the cats” he tells her “we don’t want them to feel put out” Travis chuckles. 

“I saw on the internet that you’re meant to give them one of the baby’s onesies so they can get used to their smell.”

“We can do that” Travis assures her “we’ll buy a special one with cats all over it. Mere might approve of that.”

“Doubt it” Taylor manages the smallest of smiles “will they come up to the bedroom with us?”

“Try and stop them, girl. We’ll all go up. You and me, the baby, all the cats. I’ll make sure someone has put snacks and drinks and everything we could ever need on our bed. Maybe I’ll ask your mom to do that, she’d do that for us, wouldn’t she?” He gives a soft laugh knowing Andrea is right there. 

“You know I’d do anything for either of you” Andrea tells them. 

“Appreciate that, Mama” Travis says gratefully “and I’ll load the TV up with every movie you’ve ever mentioned wanting to watch but not had the time to see. And then we can sit there, you in my arms, and we’ll be holding her, or feeding her or just looking at how beautiful she is. Benji will probably jump up first. Meredith last, obviously, once she’s done sulking.”

Taylor has momentarily stopped listening because she’s realised that she can move her thumbs again. She flexes both of her hands, touching each finger to her thumb in turn and then breaths a sigh of relief to realise that she has full control over her body again. She wiggles her toes, just to be sure. 

“Hey, look at you” Travis croons when he sees her hands flexing “so proud of you, sweet girl. Feelin’ better?”

“Think so” Taylor muses, exhaustion seeping in almost immediately now that the tension and panic have dissipated. She settles back against the headboard, head lolling on her mother’s shoulder. 

“Oh, honey” Andrea croons, wrapping an arm around her back. She presses a kiss to Taylor’s hair and hides her face in her mussed locks, trying to hide her emotion at the way Travis was calming her daughter, talking to her in a way she’d never heard any previous boyfriend do. 

“You look done in, honey” Scott points out gently “eat this dessert before you fall asleep, hm? Looks too good to go to waste.”

“Dessert?” Travis beams. “What did you get?” 

“A chocolate brownie” Andrea answers for her. “And it looks so good!”

“Show me” Travis grins. Scott holds it up. “That looks so fuckin’ good, Tay.”

His enthusiasm, infectious as always, piques Taylor’s interest and she sits up, reaching for the chocolate treat. 

“Girl, I’m drooling” Travis laughs “wish I was there to share.”

“6 sleeps” she tells him, fork going into the brownie for a bite bigger than any of them expected. Her eyes immediately fly open as the rich chocolate sauce hits her tongue. “Oh my god!”

“Good?” Andrea laughs. 

“So good” she almost moans, locking eyes with Travis. 

“Oh, girl” Travis grins.

“Trav? Tell me more.” 

“What like?” He presses. 

“Where are we going to live?” She asks, chocolate in her teeth.

“Where do you want to live? We’ve got enough houses between us” he teases. 

“KC. It feels like home.”

“KC it is then, sweetie.” 

“That was easy” Scott laughs, pushing up to stand. “I’m going to see if any of the guys want this food, we don’t want it going to waste” he says, gathering everything they hadn’t touched ready to take out to security. “You okay now, honey?”

“Better now, thanks dad” Taylor gives him a smile. 

“You gonna stay with her tonight?” Scott asks Andrea quietly as Travis and Taylor weigh up the pros and cons of staying put or moving house. 

“I’ll see what she wants” Andrea shrugs softly. “Keep your phone on. I don’t think she needs us anymore but, just in case” she gives Scott a smile only he understands. Happy because their daughter was so well loved and looked after, sad because they were loosing her to Travis in a way they’d never lost her to a man before. 

“I will” he nods, bending to press a kiss to Taylor’s hair. “Night, bug.” 

“Night, dad. Love you.” 

“Want me to go too, honey?” Andrea asks. 

“No” Taylor shakes her head. “Stay with me tonight.” 

“How’s that brownie, girl?” Travis asks, wincing as he spots a message from Pat. 

“Better than sex.”

“Taylor!” Andrea scolds despite laughing.  

“My poor ego” Travis groans, clutching at his chest. Taylor giggles and Travis’s heart leaps at the sound.

‘We’re all ready to go TK. You coming?’ 

‘I’ll catch you up. Just talking to Tay.’

‘No rush. Call me when you’re ready, we’ll wait.’ 

“Do you need to go?” Taylor worries. 

“No, girl. Just Pat saying the guys are running late” he lies. “I feel like I’m crashing your girlie night with Mama Swift now though!” 

“Always want you here” she shrugs, licking the brownie remnants off her fork. “Tell mom what engagement ring you’re getting me whilst I go and brush my teeth.”

Travis throws his head back laughing. 

“You’re very presumptuous, Swift!” He grins “got a Super Bowl ring you can have.”

“No! I want pretty diamonds.”

They can joke about it but the ring is already designed and currently being custom made by one of her favourite jewellers. 

Taylor just sticks her tongue out and moves to find her toothbrush. 

With Taylor in the bathroom the last thing Travis and Andrea talk about is rings. Andrea thanks him for everything he’s done over the past week like they haven’t been texting constantly anyway. 

“4 more shows Trav” Andrea soothes. 

“I won’t rest until she’s here” Travis muses. 

“No, I was the same. But the way you were able to settle her earlier…”

Travis shrugs. 

“It was a lot easier today than earlier on in the week. That first day…” he almost shudders at the memory. “I’ve no idea how I didn’t fly over.”

“She wanted you to stay put. You did the right thing, don’t beat yourself up.” 

“I meant what I said about the baby and stuff” he offers suddenly, almost shyly. “I know it’s weird to talk about it like that but-“

“It’s not weird at all” Andrea soothes “Scott and I used to do the same thing. We’d talk about names we liked and which room we’d turn into a nursery, who we think they’d look like. When you know, you know, right?”

“Oh, I know” Travis tells her, nodding. “I’ve got the ring and a plan to speak to Scott and-“ he hesitates, realising he’s rambling. “I didn’t want you to think I was just getting her hopes up or whatever those other bastards used to do. Especially about having a baby, I would never-“

“I know, Travis” Andrea cuts him off softly. “I know. I’ve known from the first second I saw you with her.”

When Taylor reappears, make up scrubbed from her face and teeth feeling less furry, she doesn’t hesitate in clambering into bed. 

“Oh, Tay” Travis swoons gently “aren’t you the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.” 

Now the adrenaline has left her system she feels bone weary. Her arms felt like bricks but her legs felt like jelly. She props herself up against the hotel pillows but she’s already fighting heavy eyes.

“Just missing you here” she says, sleepily tapping the space beside her.  

“Hey, Tay?” 

“Hm?” She briefly opens one eye. 

“Just 6 sleeps, sweetie.” 

For the first time all week Taylor doesn’t wake until morning. 

Chapter Text

Taylor has likened Travis to Moses parting the Red Sea in a poem before. 

The way he enters the suite after a game sparks the same imagery in her head. The door opens and everyone suddenly stops what they’re doing, or saying, or drinking to crane their necks towards the entryway. 

And then, there he is. 

All 6ft5 of him, stooping a little to get through the doorway to a rapturous applause and shouts from the friends he’s known since he was quite literally in diapers of let’s fucking go!!

Travis embraces every single person that comes up to him but he always leaves the best until last. He embraces friends, family, friends of friends, friends of friends of friends, and then finally his dad, his mom and Taylor, in that order. 

The game, his best of the season so far, has felt like bolts of electricity coursing through the stadium ever since the first whistle. There’s been first downs, touchdowns, a lot of tumbling down and a fistfight that had baited the entire 53 man roster into a brawl. Well, 53 minus 1 because Travis had stood at the edge of the fight with a grumble about being too fuckin’ old for this. 

The sight of Taylor in the suite has his shoulders sagging as he drops to find home in the crook of her neck. 

“How ‘bout it?” He asks proudly, his voice like liquid velvet in her ear and his breath warm on her neck.

“You were unbelievable, baby.”

Her hands are everywhere all at once, brushing, smoothing and touching. He’s taken a lot of hits during the game and she knows under his smile that he’s definitely hurting. 

“Always play better when you’re here, sweetie.”

His lips graze her ear lobe and the giggles bubble from her lips.

“I’m so proud of you.”

“Put her down” someone jibes loudly making the whole suite laugh. 

Travis chuckles, his beard rough against her cheek as he pulls back with a crooned “fuckin’ love you, girl.” 

“Love you. You sure you’re ok after that hit? Your head, baby-“

“Wondered how long you’d be able to go without asking” he teases softly. She’s always been a worrier. Her hand cups his face, her thumb grazing his cheek. “Pat said he was surprised you didn’t march down to the sideline to check on me” he grins. 

“Tried to” Taylor shoots back “Drew wouldn’t let me. You know, for a small guy he is alarmingly strong.”

Travis throws his head back laughing. 

“Fuck, girl. I don’t deserve you.”

“I’m joking, by the way” she winks “I did not try and tackle my own security” and then she adds an honest “I did think about it though.”

“You’re ridiculous” he tells her, love spilling over in his tone “what stopped you?”

“Britt” Taylor tells him honestly. Britt is a veteran WAG and at this point Taylor trusts Brittney Mahomes to talk her down from just about anything. Field invasions to ensure her fiancé is safe, included. “And your mom who, let me tell you, is also apparently freakishly strong! Where was my warning about that, by the way?” She grins, eyes glittering almost as much as the rock on her finger. 

“Where do you think I get it from?” Travis teases bluntly. 

“Baby-“ she dissolves into giggles, beyond relieved that he looks ok and his brain is clearly firing well enough to make her laugh so much her stomach hurts. 

“Get my text?” 

Taylor had got a text at halftime from the Chiefs medical team assuring her that Travis been checked over and was showing no signs of a concussion after his heavy collision with the ground. It had been the only thing that had lessened the knot of worry in her stomach after watching him get hit.

“You told them to send it?” 

Travis nods, pressing his face back into the crook of her neck. 

“Knew you’d be stressin’, sweetie. Didn’t want you worrying and not enjoying the rest of the game. Love seein’ you on the cameras having so much fun up here.” 

“You scared the shit outta me, Trav” she tells him honestly “felt sick thinking you weren’t gonna get up.” 

“God, girl. The sight of you in that teeny dress would be enough to raise me from the dead, let alone a wipe out on the field” the tone of his voice lowers and Taylor would be embarrassed by the way her skin instantly prickles if she wasn’t down so hopelessly for him “so fuckin’ pretty” he mumbles, large hand lingering just on the very edge of the hem of her custom made jersey dress. 

“Fuck me, Kelc” Aric bellows “came to see a game, not you gettin’ handsy with your girl!” 

“Oh my god, get this guy outta here!” Travis bellows back, the grin on his face so wide that his eyes sparkle. 

Aric shouts something back that sounds a lot like ‘fuck off, TK’ and the loud banter that always spills over whenever his friendship group are around starts instantaneously. Taylor would wince if she wasn’t so used to him and his friends. Life was always loud these days. It’s such a contrast to the jail she found herself in towards the later end of her last relationship, all brooding looks and reading between the lines. Travis and his friends live out loud. Thankfully they all love out loud too. 

His friends suddenly swarm with celebratory shots, cheers and claps on the back. 

“Shot, TayTay?” Ross grins. 

“Is the pope a Catholic?” 

Ross blinks. 

“Yes, Ross. Yes, he is” she chuckles, helping herself to a shot off the tray he holds out. 

“Fuckin’ idiot” Travis shakes his head at Ross, looping an arm around Taylor’s back. 

As is routine for them now, the post game party continues at 1587 Prime. In the car on the way Taylor and Travis get a rare moment to themselves.

“Baby” Travis chuckles as she touches his hair, his face, his neck and his shoulders over and over “you don’t need to keep touching me, I’m fine” and then he thinks better of it. “Feel free to keep touching me though. But maybe like-“ he grins “a bit further down.” 

“Travis!” 

His chest rumbles with laughter beneath her touch.

“What?” He smirks “thought we had a post win tradition to uphold!” 

“You say that like we don’t have sex if you win or lose.” 

“Why do you think I’m looking for a contract extension?” He smirks. 

“Baby” she giggles as his lips crash into hers. 

“Love you so fuckin’ much, girl.” 

Taylor eventually pulls back, hands grazing his hair. He'd had a fresh fade before the game and she can’t get enough of the feel of it beneath her fingertips. 

“You sure you’re ok?”

“Never been better, sweetie. You make everything better.”

“Trav-“ she exhales, her whole body deflating. The way he can draw every ounce of anxiety from her body in seconds really needs to be studied. 

“Please don’t worry, Tay. I’m ok and nothing is gonna ruin tonight. Not only have we gotta celebrate the dub, we also gotta honour your record breaking release week. 4 million, baby!” 

Warmth blooms in Taylor’s chest. 

“We’re celebrating you, Trav.”

“Nah” Travis shrugs, gaze dropping shyly. If there’s one thing Travis hates, it’s people celebrating him. He’s only just gotten over his birthday the week before. “I only ever wanna celebrate you, girl. You’ve been blowin’ my mind this whole week. All those records, those interviews, everything. God knew what he was doin’ when he made you, my girl, that’s for damn sure.” 

“Trav-“ 

“C’mere, sweetie.”

When they arrive at 1587, Taylor’s lips feel bruised from kissing and Travis is sharing her latest obsession in lipstick shade. 

His friends made sure to let him know that they’ve noticed. 

It’s Donna who brings him back down to earth. 

“You know you shouldn’t be drinking that on concussion protocol, Trav” she scolds softly trying to pull the cocktail glass he’s holding from his hand. 

“I’m fine, momma.” 

“Are you on a concussion protocol, Travis?” Donna asks, giving him a look that reminds him of being a child and being asked if he’s telling the truth or not.

“Momma-“ he protests weakly but the glare she shoots him makes him relent immediately “please, just don’t tell Taylor. I’m fine, it’s just a precaution, really.” 

“Just make that your last drink, honey.”

Without alcohol, the post game adrenaline rush runs out sooner than he’s expecting and then the post game soreness really starts to kick in. 

It takes Taylor approximately thirteen minutes to notice that he’s suffering. Less, actually but she doesn’t want to be too quick to say something knowing that he’s only going to brush her off. When he winces reaching for a glass to toast her record breaking album, again, she squeezes his thigh.

“Baby?”

Travis shifts in his chair to bring her closer. 

“I’m kind of exhausted” she tells him.

His face softens. 

“You feelin’ ok, sweetie?”

“So happy” she assures him, taking and squeezing his hands “just done in, you know? 

“Me too, actually” Travis agrees quietly, his shoulders sagging.

“Oh, baby” she brushes her hand through his hair “wanna head out?”

It goes against everything in Travis’s nature not to push through and insist on being the life and soul of the party, even if it’s the last thing he feels like. 

“Yeah.”

“Yeah?” Taylor tries to hide her shock. She’d assumed getting him to give in would be a lot harder. 

“Yeah” he nods “hey, Tay? Think we can recreate one of those baths like you used to have after each show? Like, with the muscle recovery stuff?”

“Oh, baby” Taylor’s eyes glitter “muscle soaks and bubbles are like, my speciality!” She tells him excitedly. “Let me tell Drew we’re ready to go.”

Somewhere in his periphery Travis can hear Aric trying to recruit their friends into a bar crawl. He can already hear Ross scheming to get Travis to come with them.

“One problem, Tay.”

“Hm?”

“How the fuck are we gonna get out of here?”

Taylor chuckles softly. 

“Oh, Trav. You ever heard of an Irish goodbye?” 

When Travis’s friends realise they’ve already left, Ross declares them horny bastards and drags everyone to another bar anyway.

At home Travis gets the Taylor Swift Post Eras Tour Bath of Dreams as penned by Taylor herself. It takes him three minutes to declare that the bath is better than any post game celebration he’s ever had. 

“I’m telling you, baby, baths change lives!” 

“Certainly changed mine” and then he says “I’m sorry for being a party pooper, Tay.”

Taylor is crouched beside the bath, her hand lazily drawing circles in the bubbles.

“Who said you’re a party pooper?”

“I’m just not used to bein’ the first to leave, that’s all.”

“Doesn’t make you a party pooper, Trav. You don’t always have to be the last one standing. It’s ok to put yourself first, baby.” 

“I know, but-“

“No buts” Taylor shakes her head, moving her hand from the bubbles to his cheek. “We need to work on you making yourself a priority.”

“Is this a bath or therapy?” He quips softly. 

“Baths are therapy, Trav” she grins. “You’ve got a lot to learn!”

He stays in the bath until the water is cold and Taylor’s bum is numb from sitting on the tile. Then she insists on tidying up whilst he gets into bed. 

“You need ice or anything, baby?” She asks, walking in from the bathroom in nothing but the Chiefs shirt he’d grilled in the day before and a pair of fluffy socks. 

“Just you, sweetie.” 

She laughs softly, throwing the decorative cushions off the bed that Travis has decided to lie on, too tired to move them. 

“How are you feeling after a bath?”

“Still ache like a motherfucker” he grumbles gruffly before adding a quiet “probably survive though.”

“Good to hear” Taylor nods “was kinda planning on like, marrying you so, would be nice if you were there. No obligation though” she holds up her hands to shrug and Travis can’t help the laugh that spills out.

“God I love you, girl. Wild horses couldn’t keep me away from that alter.”

“Counting on that” she muses softly, burrowing under the blankets so she can curl into his chest. He grasps for her. “I’m not hurting you?”

“Nope. Fixin’ me, I think.”

She hums.

“Hey, how’s that head? Still remember who I am?”

“Not a clue but what guy would kick a lady this pretty out his bed?” 

“Idiot” she giggles through a huff “what’s my middle name?”

“Alison.”

“Good. Name our fluffy children.”

“Tay-“ he protests.

“Please don’t interrupt an important medical examination.”

“You’ve watched too much Grey’s Anatomy, baby girl.”

“Tell me.”

“Meredith Grey, Olivia Benson and Benjamin Button.”

“Correct!”

“What do I win?” 

“Like, not a brain injury” Taylor shrugs. 

“Seem to remember we still got a post win tradition to complete actually, girl.”

“I’m not sure they recommend sex for someone who’s been dropped on their head” Taylor turns in his arms to face him. He hides his wince at the fact she’s all elbows and knees. 

“Learn that on Grey’s Anatomy too?” He asks, eyebrow raised. 

“No but like, what if your brain like, explodes?” She asks, eyes wide. 

Travis gives a low chuckle.  

“Always feel like my brain has exploded when I have sex with you, baby girl.” 

“Fair” Taylor smirks and then she asks curiously “you really feel up to it? You said you were sore.”

Travis debates lying but his muscles feel like they’re screaming and the lavender bubbles she’d generously poured into the bath has made his eyelids feel more than heavy.

Taylor can almost hear the internal battle he’s having in his own head.

“Hey, Trav?” She asks before he can give her an answer. 

“Hm?” 

“I’m actually planning on like, staying with you forever so maybe we can just do it like, tomorrow?” She suggests with a shrug.

He forces open one sleepy eye to look at her. 

“Forever?”

“Yeah. That cool with you?”

“Yeah, kinda why I put that ring on your finger actually.”

“Oh, cool” Taylor nods nonchalantly. “So celebratory sex tomorrow then?”

“As long as you’re sure my brain won’t explode then.”

She giggles but her voice softens, her hand reaches out to cup his cheek “dunno what I’d do if anything ever happened to you, Trav.”

“S’never going to, sweetie.”

“Promise?” She whispers. 

“Promise” and then “hey, Tay? You promise me something too?”

“Anything.”

“Forever, yeah?”

“Forever.” 

Chapter Text

Her doctor says something like “you might feel some light cramps as I remove it, sweetheart” but it’s said in such a soothing, singsong voice that Taylor doesn’t really take much notice. 

She’s more focused on Travis’s hands. One holds her own hand, gently stroking his thumb on her palm. The other is smoothing her hair, softly brushing it from her forehead in a way that somehow makes her feel safe.

“Doin’ so good, baby girl” he hums, stooping so his face is level with hers, head tilted towards Taylor “so good, baby.” 

Travis is purposefully not looking at whatever the doctor is doing. He hates anything medical at the best of times but it turns out it’s worse if they’re there for Taylor. The thought of anything or anyone hurting her is enough to send him spiralling, (he has been ever since they’d booked the appointment actually) so right now he’s focusing on Taylor and trying to fight the urge to wrestle the very kind medical professional that Taylor has trusted for over a decade. 

“Ok, Taylor. I’m ready to remove the IUD. Are you ready?” 

Taylor nods, her golden hair rustling against the paper sheet she’s laid on. 

“Words, baby” Travis prompts, voice no more than a whisper in her ear. 

“Ready” Taylor informs her doctor, despite feeling like her heart is in her throat. Getting her IUD inserted more than five years ago hadn’t been an experience she was keen to repeat so she can only pray that getting it removed isn’t quite so bad. The endless forums she’s read online assure her it isn’t. 

“Take some nice deep breaths for me” the doctor tells her “I’m going to take it out now.”

Taylor resists the urge to squeak when she starts to feel a tugging inside her. Her face crumples and Travis pushes his lips to her forehead. 

“You’re doing so good, Tay. It’s almost done. Keep breathing, baby. You’re doing so good.” 

“Woah, fuck” Taylor suddenly mumbles, eyes flying open. 

“Ok?” The doctor asks “feeling those cramps?” 

“Yeah, fuck-“ Taylor offers a little breathlessly, the force of the cramps taking her by surprise “cramps, I’m definitely feeling cramps” she grumbles quietly. 

“Ok, that’s normal. Can you take some more of those deep breaths for me? Try and relax your body. I’m having some trouble removing this whilst you’re a little tense.” 

“Ok” Taylor mumbles but no deep breaths come. 

“Here, honey” Travis croons, standing a little straighter. Taylor whimpers as he moves his face from where it had been squished up against hers, immediately missing the comfort that was bringing her. “I know, baby” he hums, as if he gets it without her saying a word “just one minute, ok? This will help.”

His large hands are suddenly pushing up her t-shirt and then she feels a warm, gentle pressure on her lower abdomen just where the cramps are blooming. Her body instantly relaxes. 

“Good, that’s good” the doctor encourages brightly as Taylor’s body deflates. “IUD is coming out right now, Taylor.”

“Good girl, honey” Travis soothes “you’re doing so good. So fuckin’ proud of you.” 

“And it’s out” the doctor beams, holding up the offensive item so Taylor can see it. “Congrats" she chuckles.  

Travis drops to kiss her every inch of her face with a smile so wide and so full of pride that it feels like she has just won a Grammy, not had her contraceptive removed. 

“You did it!” He beams, eyes sparkling proudly “love you so much, girl.”

Relief spills out of Taylor in the form of giggles as Travis showers her with kisses.

Despite the thirty minute conversation they’d had prior to the removal about wanting to rid Taylor’s body of hormones and regulate her cycle before trying for a baby, the doctor still asks “are you sure you don’t want another fitted?”

“Never been so sure of anything in my life” Taylor tells her bluntly. 

The doctor chuckles. 

“Ok. I think I’m finished here. I’ll give you some privacy to get dressed.”

“Thank you.”

“Taylor?”

“Hm?”

“You’re spotting a little bit. Do you have a pad or something for when you get dressed?”

Taylor’s eyes widen. She hasn’t had a period perhaps this decade so she absolutely does not have a pad. 

“Is that normal?” She stammers.

“Very normal. You might experience some spotting and cramping for a few days post removal. It’s nothing that over the counter pain medication shouldn’t fix. If you’re struggling with pain and heavy bleeding then you immediately call me, right?”

“Right” Travis nods definitely, like he’s revising for a test. 

“So, about that pad?” Taylor winces “definitely do not have one.”

The doctor chuckles and brushes Taylor’s arm affectionately. 

“I’ll find you one.”

As soon as the doctor is out of the room Travis is all but lifting Taylor into his arms as she sits up.

“You did so good, honey. How do you feel?”

“Ok” Taylor nods but her resolve softens at the sight of his concerned face “kinda crampy.”

“Oh, girl. Would take the pain from you in a heartbeat if I could, Tay.”

The doctor drops in a pad and then gives them some time to sort themselves out. Before Taylor can even stand, Travis is crouched on the floor in front of the examination bed where she’s perched. 

“Feet in, sweet girl.”

When she looks down, Taylor realises that he’s holding her underwear out for her to step into. Her heart just about melts. 

“Trav-“

“Feet in, TayTay.”

She carefully slips her feet into her underwear and then watches as Travis tries to open the pad he’s been given by the doctor.

“What in the fuckin’-“ he grumbles, pulling and tugging. 

“Give it here” Taylor giggles although after years of no periods she’s not too sure she’s going to be any better at it.

“Nope. I’m your nurse for today, this is my job” Travis grins.

“Trav” she giggles. 

“Nope” he looks up at her with a wink and then gives a triumphant “got you, you fucker!” as the pad gives. 

Taylor nearly cries at the sight of her 6ft5 fiancé crouched on his knees trying to figure out how to stick a sanitary towel into her underwear. It doesn’t help that he has his tongue stuck out for concentration. He is officially adorable. The wings almost cause him a mental breakdown and he briefly thinks about calling the Ignition Lab to see if anyone would be able to weigh in on how the fuck this all works but eventually the pad is stuck in and he’s helping Taylor pull up a soft pair of Showgirl merch shorts. 

“Oh, careful, sweetie” he croons, moving to fold the waistband of her shorts over until they sit on her hips. “Won’t push on your stomach and make those cramps any worse like this.”

“Trav-“ the lump in Taylor’s throat will not go away so instead she tugs him into her arms and he melts into the crook of her neck. “Love you so much.”

“Love you too, sweet girl. So proud of you for doin’ that. Gonna take the best care of you.”

Taylor gives a wet chuckle.

“Dunno what I did to deserve you, Trav.”

“Was thinkin’ the same thing, girl” and then he pulls back a little “hey, Tay?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

Taylor blinks. He’s the one caring for her. Shouldn’t she be thanking him?

“For what?”

“Doing that” he shrugs “going through pain so we can have a baby someday.”

This time her heart actually does melt, she swears it.

“It’s all gonna be so worth it, Trav. I know we said we’d wait until after the wedding but god, now it’s out I just want to be pregnant like, right now.”

Travis pushes his head back laughing.

“Oh, thank god! It’s literally all I’ve been thinkin’ about since she said it was out. Girl, I want you like, full of our baby like-“ his hands caress her tender stomach “yesterday.”

Taylor giggles. 

“How soon did she say we can try?”

It’s no surprise however that Taylor isn’t feeling up to trying anything, even by the time they get back in the car. 

“Ok, Superstar?” Drew asks as Travis helps her into the car. She nods. “Jet is waiting, luggage is in the back. Ready to head to KC?”

Travis curses his practise schedule. They’ve quite literally just flown in overnight to see Taylor’s doctor, and grab the bagel that Taylor has been lusting after for two weeks. He’s had someone go and grab a hefty supply whilst they’ve been in her appointment. 

“Yeah. Hey, where are the cats?”

“In the other car with Erica.”

“Oh.”

“Want me to grab them?” Drew asks. 

“Want Benji to sit on me like a hot water bottle” Taylor mumbles.

“Shit” Travis curses softly, remembering that she’s sore “hey, Drew man? Are we safe here for like 5 minutes whilst we get set up?”

It’s not a long drive to where the jet is waiting but he knows New York traffic and he knows that he doesn’t want Taylor to be uncomfortable for a moment longer.

“Safe as houses” Drew confirms, shooting off a text to the team to keep his men walking the periphery of the parking lot for a while longer. “What can I do?”

“I’m gonna need pain meds, water and a cat, preferably one of the snuggly ones” Travis says. 

Drew looks a little concerned.

“Got my IUD removed” Taylor shrugs.

Travis’s eyes widen as he looks between her and her head of security. He’s surprised by Taylor’s giggle.

“Drew like, was with me when I got it changed last, so-“ she shrugs. 

Travis blinks.

“Like, with you, with you?”

Taylor chuckles at the memory. 

“Yeah. Joe was meant to come, think he actually wanted to see with his own eyes that I was definitely getting my IUD replaced, not removed. His favourite phrase was ‘of course I want to have children with you, Taylor. Just not right now.’-“ 

“Fucking idiot” Travis grumbles. 

“Yeah. Anyway-“ she shrugs “at the last minute he made some excuse about an acting class. When Joe didn’t show Drew took pity on me and asked if I wanted to hold his hand through it-“ Taylor suddenly laughs as the image of Drew in the doctor’s office floods her mind “he was like, facing the wall with his eyes closed but he was telling me I was doing so good. I was like, what do you know, dude! You’re literally wearing a scarf over your eyes” she giggles.

“Tay-“ despite being so grateful that Taylor seems to have the most incredible team, his heart still aches for all she’s gone through in the past with men who were never worthy of her. 

“I did offer Erica to her first” Drew points out, wary of how it sounds “but apparently she faints at the sight of blood.”

“I can confirm that’s true because when I cut my hand a few weeks ago she actually went green” Taylor laughs. 

“She did indeed” Drew confirms “so, a snuggly cat, yes? E.g. not Meredith?”

“Got it in one” Travis chuckles. 

“There’s water in the middle. I know there’s pain meds in the medical bag, let me grab it.” 

When Drew returns with a mewling Benjamin and some medication, Taylor is curled on Travis’s lap, his warm hands against her cramping stomach. 

“Erica had these ready to go” he says, handing her a box of medication.

“Gotta eat something before you take those, baby” Travis tells her seriously “it’s gonna help ‘em work nice and quick.” 

“A bagel?” Taylor asks hopefully. Now the procedure is done and the nerves have gone she realises that she’s starving.

“I sent someone to buy like, 13 so yes, we absolutely do have a bagel you can have" he chuckles. 

Taylor’s seatbelt does nothing for her cramps, even with the warm weight of Benjamin on top of her aching stomach. By the time they’re deep in New York traffic, Travis has his hands on her bare stomach with Benjamin on top of them but then she’s fighting to get them both off.

“Too much pressure” she grumbles, her own hands resting gingerly on her abdomen. “Trav?”

“What can I do, sweetie?”

“Need the bathroom” she whispers shyly. 

“Can you wait until we get to the plane?”

Taylor shakes her head.

“Feels like I’m bleeding way too much.”

Oh. Travis feels his chest tighten with anxiety. 

“Too much?” He asks carefully. Taylor nods, eyes wide. “Can I peek under your shorts, baby?” 

A five second peek sends Benjamin into the footwell grumbling about being disturbed but it soothes Travis’s rising anxiety. 

“Just a few spots, sweet girl” he says, carefully putting her underwear back in place so she’s not uncomfortable. 

“A few?” Taylor frowns, not sure she believes him.

“Like, three. You’re ok, sweetie.”

Taylor wails softly “I’m sorry. It just feels like a lot.”

“It’s ok, honey, don’t be apologisin’” Travis croons, moving his hand back to her stomach when she tugs on it “it’s always better to check than be worried. Anything I can do to help?”

“You’re already doing it, Trav.” 

“You sure? I feel like I should be doing more. You just went through all that and I’m just sat here like a jamoke.”

“Trav-“ despite her discomfort she twists to cup his face “just being here like this, this is enough.” 

“Tay-“ 

“Ok. There is one thing you can do.”

Travis’s eyes light up at the opportunity to help. 

“Anything, Tay.”

“Can you pick up Benji, please?”

Travis chuckles as he pulls the cat into his arms. 

“C’mere, sweet boy. Momma needs cuddles. Can you do that for me?”

The cat purrs and happily leaps into Taylor’s arms, immediately nuzzling down into where she’s hurting as if he knows. 

As soon as their flight is underway and it’s safe to do so, Travis is guiding Taylor to the bedroom. As they stand Taylor feels something between her legs that has her clamping her thighs together. 

“Bathroom” she mumbles. 

“We just went, baby.” 

“Trav” she huffs out, her bottom lip wobbling. 

Travis’s heart tugs painfully. 

“Come on, sweetie.”

In the bathroom Taylor gives into her tears when she finds the same four or five spots of blood that were there when they’d checked before take off. 

“Oh, Tay.”

“When I stood up it felt like-“ she shakes her head, gaze dropping as embarrassment washes over her “it’s fine.”

“Sweet girl” Travis sighs sadly. “It’s ok. This is all new and we’re both learning. But we’re doing this ‘cos we want a family together, so we’re gonna go through all of this other stuff together too, Tay, I promise.” 

Taylor hisses at a cramp so Travis bundles her into his arms. 

“Come on, honey. We’ve got a few hours to try and sleep these cramps off.”

In the bedroom Travis puts Taylor down on slightly shaky legs. 

“Just hold on one second, baby. Let’s take these off” he crouches down and tugs on her shorts “get rid of some of that pressure, hm?” 

Soon Taylor is in bed with Travis behind her. She has her knees pulled to her chest because it seems to ease the cramps a little. Travis’s warm hands are on her stomach as he is curled around her, his head in the crook of her neck.

“How’s that, sweetie?”

“Better, I think.”

“Good. I love you so much.”

“So much it isn’t even funny?” Taylor asks, half hopefully, half sleepily.

“Even more, sweet girl.”

After a full twenty four hours of love and care from Travis, the cramps are the least of Taylor’s worries. She can count on one hand the number of times they’d argued in two years but she wakes up and quickly decides that Travis is the most irritating person she’s ever met. 

And he’s not even in the house. 

When he does get home from a gruelling practise it’s to find his cleats on the front lawn and Taylor prowling the sitting room like a caged animal. 

He immediately regrets opening his mouth as soon as he says “ok, sweetie?” 

Taylor looks at him with venom in her eyes like he’d been out kicking kittens for a pastime. 

“No, I’m not ok, Travis.” 

Her tone cuts through the air in the room like a knife. 

“Are you still cramping, Tay?” He asks, worried about her. They hadn’t slept much the night before after being up and down trying to keep her niggling cramps under control. 

“Fuck off.”

Travis stills. 

“Taylor?” 

“Don’t call me that.”

His eyebrows knit together. 

“Sweetie” Travis blows out a long breath, struggling to piece together what was on. “That’s your name, I don’t know-“ he stumbles “can you tell me what’s upset you?” 

“If you can’t tell then you must be more stupid than you look.”

Travis feels as if he’s been winded. She’s never once talked to him like that before. 

He takes a breath to steady himself.

“Taylor, I get that you’re probably still hurtin’ a bit, sweetie but that isn’t an excuse to be cruel. Can you please just tell me what I’m meant to have done?” 

“Your fucking shoes, Travis!” She wails “everywhere I go in this house there is your fucking shoes!” 

Travis blinks. 

“This is about shoes?” 

“I nearly broke my arm falling over your cleats earlier. Why didn’t you take them to practise?!” She demands. 

“Someone at the facility asked if we had anything we can donate to raise money for a community project. I was meant to take them in and sign them. I just forgot. I’m sorry I left them by the door, sweetie and I’m sorry you almost got hurt. That wasn’t my intention at all” Travis explains carefully. “I was running late ‘cos I wanted to leave you with everything you’d need if you woke up still feelin’ sore and then I just forgot about the cleats. Got a tellin’ off at the facility too for forgetting them” he forces out a chuckle but Taylor stays stoney faced. “I don’t want us to fight so I’m gonna head upstairs and shower, might even play some games and cool off. You need anything before I head up?”

Taylor stays silent but Travis dares to press a kiss to her hair as he passes. 

He’s able to shower, doom scroll, make some calls and then play the new Call of Duty for approximately 3.7 seconds before Taylor timidly lets herself in, tears streaming down her cheeks. 

Travis’s heart sinks. 

“Oh, sweetie.” 

Within seconds she’s in his lap as he cradles her, smoothing her hair. 

“You’re ok, sweet girl. Everything is ok.”

“I’m so sorry” she sniffs, her voice wobbling “Travis, I am so, so sorry. I was so horrible!” 

“Hey” he croons “darling girl, it’s ok, it’s all forgotten now.”

“I’m so sorry!” 

“You don’t need to be sorry” he soothes, pressing several kisses to her clammy forehead “take a big breath for me, girly. It’s all ok.” 

“I’m so sorry. I just-“ Travis rubs her back as Taylor struggles to get a handle on her emotions “I don’t know! I just woke up and felt like my blood was boiling and then I saw your shoes and-“ she sniffs “I’m so sorry. I’ve just felt so all over the place all day! I’m either so angry I feel like I can’t breathe or I can’t stop crying!” 

“Oh, Tay” Travis breathes, moving to cup her face so he can brush at her tear tracks with his thumb “I know. I understand. It’s ok.”

“It isn’t! I was so awful to you and-“

“Hey, hey” he croons “it’s ok. You know why?” 

Taylor shakes her head, eyes glassy as she searches his face. 

“I rang Ky, and Britt actually. I hope you don’t mind” he holds his breath hoping she isn’t going to start shouting again but Taylor stays quiet “apparently this is so, so normal.”

“Normal?” She stammers. Taylor feels anything but normal. 

“Your IUD was hormone based, right?” 

Taylor nods. 

“Yeah, apparently when you get them taken out you can have what they call a crash. Your body doesn’t make some hormone, pro- pert, perg, I don’t fuckin’ know but like, the IUD makes it for you, or something. So when you take it out your body doesn’t know it needs to make that hormone so you get all these symptoms, like mood swings. Britt and Ky said exactly the same thing happened to them.”

“They did?” Taylor frowns, voice small. 

Travis nods. 

“Britt said it lasted like a few days for her and Ky said a little longer but like, definitely less than a week. It’s just until your body adjusts, baby. I know it sucks for right now but I promise you this isn’t forever.” 

“Trav-“

“I know, sweetie but all these feelings are gonna level out. This is just another step in getting our little one, hm? We’ve got to go through this to get them. Just wish there was more I could do so it wasn’t all on you, you know?” 

Taylor’s eyes fill with tears again but this time because she feels so overwhelmed with love and gratitude for him. He really is one of one. 

“Oh, girl” Travis chuckles softly as he sees her blink away a fresh set of tears “you really are all over the place today, hm?” He croons affectionately. She nods sadly. “It’s ok. Are you still crampy?”

“A bit” she whispers honestly. 

“How about a bath? You’re always tellin’ me baths fix everything!”

“Will you get in with me?” She asks, voice as soft as he’s known it.

“Of course I will, honey. You don’t gotta ask.”

“But you just got out the shower and-“

“I’ll just be extra squeaky clean then, won’t I?” He laughs gently, brushing the tears from her cheeks. “Did you take your pain meds?”

Taylor shakes her head.

“Did you eat?”

Another shake of the head.

“One of those bagels sounds good though” she offers then, eyes glimmering hopefully.

“Oh it does, does it?” Travis chuckles. Taylor nods definitely. “Good job we brought so many home! Ok, honey. A bath and bagels it is. You want wine in the bath?”

“I’m always going to want wine in the bath.”

Travis grins. 

“Noted. Bubbles?”

Taylor raises her eyebrow so sharply that Travis is a little bit scared she’s going to start shouting again.

“Ok” he says, holding up his hands “there’s definitely going to be bubbles.”

“Thank god” and then “hey, Trav?”

“Yeah?” 

“Dunno what I’d do without you.”

Travis captures her lips with a kiss.

“You’re never gonna need to find out, sweetie.”