"Oh, Penelope," he was groaning, his lips and hands growing more frantic. "Oh, Penelope. Oh, Penelope, oh—" He lifted his head. Very abruptly. "Oh, God."
"What is it?" she asked, trying to lift the back of her head from the cushion.
"We've stopped."
It took her a moment to recognize the import of this. If they'd stopped, that meant they'd most likely reached their destination, which was…her home.
"Oh, God!" She started yanking at the bodice of her gown with frantic motions. "Can't we just ask the driver to keep going?"
Just a little something with no angst, no drama, just fluff - don't take too serious 🤍
Wyatt opens her eyes, the first thing she sees is both uncle Trav and Taylor looking at her, smiling from both their ears at her. Uncle Trav is gently tickling her feet under the blanket and it makes her giggle slightly, pulling her feet away even though she feels so so sleepy still. Usually, it’s always Ellie who doesn’t like to get up early but never her. She’s an early bird, her dad likes to say, which usually means that she’s the one getting to wake Bennie and Ellie in the mornings. But this time, there’s no Ellie or Bennie to wake up. This time, there’s only uncle Trav and Taylor, a real life princess.
“Taylor!” the little girl says with sleep in her voice, obviously excited to see her auntie again. She still can’t believe that uncle Trav is going to marry Taylor. A true princess. She knows she’s a real princess because her mom has showed her pictures of Taylor singing on stage with a princess dress. She can’t believe she’s lucky enough to get to call Taylor her auntie soon enough.
Taylor just smiles at the little girl looking at her in awe, gently stroking over her head while kneeing in front of the little bed. It’s been an hour since the timer went off this morning and she and Travis had been able to enjoy some time in bed just the two, cuddling, talking, making up for all the mornings they had to wake up alone in these past two weeks. She wanted to let the girl sleep as long as possible, knowing she must be completely tired and worn out from her travel. After all, this is the first time in her life that she’s waking up in a new time zone, and Taylor and Travis want to make this transition as smooth as possible.
“Hi Wy! I missed you so so much.” Taylor says and Wyatt slowly sits up, reaching her arms out to hug Taylor. It makes Travis smile from the other end of her little bed, but he just quietly watches the two girls hug, not saying a word.
“Welcome to Paris, honey.” she says into the hug, her hand landing on the little head, gently swaying back and forth with her for a while.
“How’d you sleep Wy?” Travis says now, feeling his heart expand in size just from witnessing the woman he loves be so gentle with his niece. She still knees in front of Wyatt’s bed, now slowly ending the hug while holding her little hand to give the girl some space to wake up properly.
“Good.” she says, a big yawn escaping her once more.
“Oh you must be so tired still, mhm?” Tay says, but the little girl just shakes her head, and it makes the two adults laugh a little. Of course she’s too excited to be in Paris than to admit that she’s lacking sleep.
“How about… we go get ready, have some lunch by the Eiffel Tower and then… we have a surprise for you.” Taylor says with her eyes wide open out of excitement, doing her best to hype the little girl up. The toddler looks back and forth from her uncle to Taylor. Travis just chuckles at Wyatt’s face full of confusion, and Taylor slowly gets up.
“Take a guess what the surprise is, Wy?” Trav says then, is now sitting down on the side of her children’s bed while Taylor is rumbling through her suitcase.
“A dinosaur.” she mumbles shyly, but still smiling from ear to ear. Travis laughs once and Tay comes back to the two, both her hands behind her back.
“Mhm, not quite. But it’s gonna be something we’ll do today. Take a guess what we’ll do here in Paris today, Wy.” Trav gently says to her, but the little toddler just looks back between Taylor and him in confusion.
“Taylor’s concert.” she says then , and Taylor smiles but shakes her head.
“That’s tomorrow, girlie. Do you have another idea what we could be doing today?” he says, but Wyatt shruggs her shoulders, more than confused.
The blonde woman in front of her laughs once more, then takes her hands from behind her back and places a pair of Mickey Mouse ears on her own head. Travis gasps in excitement while looking at Wyatt but she doesn’t seem to get it quite yet.
“Is that Mickey Mouse, Wy?” he says.
“We are…. going to…. Disneyland Paris!” Taylor says full of excitement and Wyatt starts smiling slowly. It seems that the little girl needed some time to realize what is happening, but she giggles all excitedly as Taylor takes the Mickey Mouse ears off her own head and instead places them right on top of Wyatt’s head.
“Disney?” she asks, smiling big.
“Yeah, we’re going to Disneyland Paris.” Taylor confirms once more and Wyatt smiles some more.
“I’ve never been to Disneyland Paris.” she says and Trav can’t help but laugh at his little niece. Taylor joins him and nods, her hands immediately landing on those two little chubby cheeks.
“I know honey, and we haven’t been either. That’s why we’re going. Are you excited?”
“Yeah.” she nods, all smiley, reaching for the Mickey Mouse ears in her hair and taking a good look at them. Travis smiles. He knows Wyatt still needs a bit to warm up to both him and Taylor but he can see that she’s excited for this adventure.
“Is Mickey going to be there?” she asks and Taylor nods.
“Yeah I think so. And I’m sure we’ll also meet some Disney princesses as well. Who are you most excited for?” Taylor asks her and Wyatt starts moving on her bed. She’s giggling nervously and Taylor knows that the surprise was a success already.
“Elsa and Ana. But they live in our Disneyland so…”
“Oh you mean the Disneyland Orlando?” Trav then says and Wyatt nods with a concerned face.
“But they go visit the other Disneylands too, sometimes. So we might still be lucky and meet them today.” he says and the little girl’s concern seems to have disappeared immediately.
“Is Taylor also coming to the Disneyland?” Wyatt then asks again, looking from uncle Trav back to Taylor.
“Of course I’m coming as well. And maybe my dad Scott is also coming. And my mom and Austin. Do you remember Austin?” she asks and Wyatt nods slowly. Taylor looks at Travis and he smiles the same smile back at her. They got the little girl excited and distracted enough to not think about the fact that mom and dad won’t be joining today. A first success for the day.
“Alright, how about we get your teeth brushed quickly, pick a nice outfit before heading to breakfast?” Taylor asks and Wyatt nods. Trav just looks at Taylor with a question mark on his face, not sure how involved he should be getting now.
“Do you want me to..”
“No, don’t worry, babe. We got it.” She says, walking into the bathroom together with little Wyatt on her hand. Travis just watches the two disappear in the bathroom, hearing Wyatt’s little voice through the closed bathroom door and it makes him laugh again, before getting up from the little bed and getting ready for the day himself.
“Do you think we will also meet Olaf, Taylor?”
~
“Oh my gosh, Wy, look. It’s the Eiffel Tour.” Taylor says, pointing to the floor to ceiling windows at the end of this restaurant on the twenty-eighth floor of the luxury building. Even Andrea gasps for a moment when she sees their round table for lunch, right by the windows with an astonishing view over the city. In her sixty-six years of life, she’s never seen the Eiffel Tower so big, so close and in all its glory.
“Oh my god, this is….beautiful.” Taylor just looks at Travis in shock, her hand still in Wyatt’s while walking up to the big table together with her family.
“I know, it’s stunning.” he says, more to himself, not really looking at the Eiffel Tower that much but primarily being focused on the beautiful woman on his side, and her excited face right next to him. He knows he’s completely and utterly whipped, but that won’t stop him from admitting to himself one more time how lucky he is. How lucky he is to call the woman in her summer dress with his niece on her hand his future wife. He still experiences these moments, in which he feels the need to pinch himself. But it’s real. This is as real as it gets.
As soon as the family approaches the table, Travis helps pull out a chair between him and Taylor for Wyatt to sit in. Austin, Scott and Andrea are all sitting down, and Taylor just helps Wyatt get comfortable on the chair. This restaurant is way too fancy for a child. He noticed the second they walked in with her security that Wyatt is the only child in the room.
“Do you want to sit between Trav and me?” Taylor asks once more, and Wyatt just nods, struggling to get comfy on the chair between her uncle and auntie. Travis looks at Tay, both sharing the same thought. The little girl is way too small for this chair, almost struggles to see anything over the table cloth.
“I’ll go ask for a chair.” Trav immediately says, leaving the table and Tay just looks at her parents and back to Wyatt with a smile on her face.
“Uncle Trav is getting you a better chair, sweetheart.” she mumbles and Wyatt nods, her mermaid Barbie still in her hand from before. She seems way too distracted by the adventures that her Barbie is currently experiencing than to even notice the Eiffel Tower right next to her.
“How did you find this place?” Austin asks, has already taken out his phone, same as Scott and Andrea, to snap a few pictures of this unbeatable view.
“Trav was here before, I think. It’s so awesome, isn’t it?” she smiles, suddenly can’t help but suppress a laugh when seeing her fiancé walk back to the table. The huge man is carrying something that looks like a children’s car seat. Not just a few guests look at him in confusion.
“I guess this is the French version of a high chair.” he laughs and so does the rest of the table.
“Interesting.” Scott just mumbles. Taylor has now helped Wyatt crawl onto her lap while watching Travis try to figure out how to properly attach the children’s seat to the chair. After a minute and with the help of Scott, he seems to have figured it out and takes Wyatt from Tay, helping her sit down on the chair again.
“Is this so much better?” Andrea smiles at the little girl, and Wyatt just nods smiling, obviously proud to now be able to see everyone around the table. Travis laughs, and Taylor does the same. She opens the menu, just like everyone else, then reaches with her hand for Wyatt’s little back.
“Wy, what do you want to eat?” she asks her gently, already worried that this restaurant is mostly offering delicacies. Not really the type of food that a four year old likes to eat.
“Pizza.” she says loudly and Trav looks at Taylor concerned but definitely amused by her enthusiasm.
“Girlie, we’re at a French restaurant. Pizza is Italian. I’ll ask but I’m not sure they’ll have that.” he says gently, and Wyatt looks at him a little sadder than before. He knows Jason told him not to spoil her too much, but this moment right here almost already breaks his heart.
“Don’t you like eating Grilled Cheese? Last time I saw you, you and Ellie were munching some toasties with grilled cheese, remember?” Taylor now steps in, clearly doing her best to keep the toddler happy. So far, Wyatt hasn’t thrown a single tantrum yet and she would like to keep it that way for as long as possible. The toddler looks at Taylor and nods.
“I’m sure they’ll have a kids menu, honey. These restaurant usually always do.” Andrea now says and Taylor nods.
Kids menus. Children’s seats. There’s so many things you need to think of. She definitely hasn’t gotten used to this yet. And she can see in Travis’ face that he didn’t either. It takes a good ten minutes for them to order some food, and to Taylor’s surprise, the kitchen actually has a wide variety of children’s food options.
For a moment, Taylor just feels herself getting lost in her own world, both her eyes on the city of Paris beneath her feet. All it takes sometimes is a moment like this to remember how lucky she is to get to live this life. No matter how hard and chaotic it can get, sometimes it all just feels so right. She turns her head around to face the table again, taking a sip from her water. Wyatt is playing with her Barbie again and her parents are laughing about something Austin just said. She looks around the restaurant, loves to people watch for a while, as she suddenly feels Trav’s eyes on her. He doesn’t say anything, just sits there, both his hands folded on the white table cloth, smiling at her. She can’t help but smile back at him. Sometimes, they really don’t have to say anything.
“What?” she asks quietly, and he just shakes his head smiling some more.
“I can’t remember last time you were sitting so far away from me.” he murmurs quietly under his breath, quiet enough to make sure that the only person who could possibly hear him in this moment is the toddler sitting between them, who just hums quietly while being in her own little world.
Taylor smiles at him, loves to be reminded that this man can be as clingy as she is as times. This is truly the first time she’s dating someone who craves her touch as much as she does. A weird but beautiful feeling to know that the other person in this relationship is feeling exactly the same. She still feels a sense of sadness overcome her when she realizes that she’s never had that before. In all of her thirty-three years of life, this is the first time she gets to feel this way. Safe. Loved. Accepted, just the way she is.
Taylor doesn’t say anything, just places her hand on the table as well, reaching for his. For a moment they get closer, kissing each other gently, right over Wyatt’s head. God, how much she’s missed this man. How much she missed having this goofy and smiley soul around, who just instantly makes everything better.
“Eww.”
Taylor suddenly hears Wyatt say mid-kiss and it immediately makes the whole table chuckle.
“Uhm excuse me missy?” Travis just says jokingly to his niece, who still innocently plays with her Barbie. Andrea and Scott are laughing at the child as well who clearly, by the look on her face, meant every word she just said.
“It’s yucky.” she says again and Taylor is laughing out loud.
“What? Kissing?”
Wyatt nods and the table is more than amused.
“I agree, Wyatt. It’s really yucky. They just do it all the time.” Austin then says in Wyatt’s support, pretending to be just as weirded out by the couple as she is, and Taylor just rolls her eyes at her brother.
“Why is it yucky when two people who love each other…” Travis doesn’t get to finish his sentence, because Wyatt already interrupts him.
“Because my mom and dad also do it and it’s just very yucky, uncle Trav.” she says dead serious and her face is not even cracking up a little bit.
“I get it, girlie. Sorry.” Trav then says and just smiles quietly at his niece. His hand wanders to her small head and he starts asking her what exactly she’s playing with her mermaid Barbie. Wyatt starts telling him that the little Olaf in her other hand is the mermaid’s best friend and her uncle if he wants to be Olaf while she plays the mermaid. Of course, Travis starts to mimick his best Olaf impression and starts playing along with the four year old.
Taylor really wants to just fall into a conversation with her family, but it’s hard. It’s hard to focus on anything else but Travis playing with the napkin and the Olaf in his hand. Her entire stomach is full of butterflies suddenly, and she can’t help but stare at the man next to her. This is the moment she just knows. This is the exact second she could feel some sort of assurance in her bones that this is exactly where she needs to be, for the rest of her life. This is the man who’s going to give her the kind of family she’s always wanted. This is the kind of energy she wants for her children.
For a moment, she swallows, taken back by the heavy weight of those feelings. Her eyes suddenly meet her mom’s, by accident. But the sparkle in her eyes and the quiet smile on her face says it all.
She knows, too.
She knew it from the beginning.
~
“Are you tired, sweetie?” Taylor whispers into Wyatt’s ear, crouching down right behind the little girl to whisper into her ear. Wyatt is just standing right by one of the fences in front of one of the main attractions of the day, still looking in awe at all the dressed up princesses in their beautiful gowns who are greeting all the kids who want to go for a ride on the flying tea cups. After an hour of waiting in line, Taylor had been able to take lots of picture of Wyatt and Trav together with Ana and Elsa before boarding one of the tea cups. Taylor is sure that she now has a whole selection on her camera with some of the cutest pictures she’s ever taken in her life. But she’s noticed a while ago that Wyatt kept getting quieter and quieter. After all, she must still be jetlagged and also didn’t have her usual afternoon nap. Travis had suspected a few minutes ago that after the past three hours in this amusement park, Wyatt has reached her limits. While standing in the burning sun, he just looks at Taylor gently hugging Wyatt and he loves how patient she is with the little girl. How empathetic she is.
He could have never imaged taking his little niece for an overnight trip to Europe if it hadn’t been for Taylor and how incredible she really is with little children.
“No.” Wyatt mumbles.
“Are you thirsty?” she tries again, but Wyatt shakes her head.
“Are you.. hungry?”
Wyatt shakes her head again. Taylor now hugs her a little tighter, getting closer to her ear.
“Do you want uncle Trav to carry you for a bit?” she whispers now, almost as if this was a secret shared between just the two of them and for the first time since an hour, Wyatt quietly nods. Taylor knew it. She knew the little girl is absolutely exhausted and drained from walking around all day. She smiles gently, presses a little kiss onto the side of her head, then stands up and looks at the man next to her.
“Wyatt wants uncle Trav to carry her for a bit.” she says gently and quietly, trying to avoid Wyatt throwing another tantrum. Travis immediately passes his small water bottle to Taylor and grabs the small toddler with a smooth hand motion. Within a second, Wyatt has gotten comfortable on his big arm, her head gently resting on his shoulders. She immediately closes her eyes, cuddling closer to her uncle’s neck and hugging him gently. Taylor’s heart feels like exploding again. Travis casually blows a few kisses onto the small chubby cheek and the two keep on walking. She knew that the little girl was in desperate need of a nap. Thank god she’s got a gigantic teddy bear right next to her, who doesn’t mind carrying the sleepy toddler around for a while.
“I think the fireworks start in thirty minutes and I think we should head home after that.” Taylor says, looking at her security behind them. The two men just nod quietly and Travis places his free arm around Taylor’s shoulder. He can feel some eyes and phone cameras on the two, but it’s not as bad as he expected it to be. After all, they just look like a regular couple walking through Disneyland with their toddler. And it’s not hard to admit that this is one of the best feelings he’s ever felt. One of the best days he’s ever had. Spending the day with Taylor and this little girl in the French summer sun. Lots of pictures being taken, lots of laughter, lots of cotton candy and Disney princesses. He’s gotten a taste of what it’s like to be a girl dad, and he didn’t think it could be this incredible. He adores seeing the kindness in Taylor’s every move. He adores the energy she radiates when speaking with Wyatt, when holding her hand, gently rubbing her head or making sure she’s got enough sunscreen on. There’s something so natural in the way she handles the little girl and it’s something he now wants more than ever before.
This.
He wants exactly this, with her, for the rest of his life.
With Wyatt asleep on his shoulder, he looks down to the blonde woman next to him. Beneath her sunglasses he can see clearly that she’s suppressing a yawn, just looking around the amusement park in silence. She’s worn out too, that’s for sure.
“You tired?” he asks, and she looks up at him and nods. She giggles a little bit and hugs his arm while walking down the alley towards the magic kingdom.
“I’m exhausted from just… keeping a child alive and happy all day.” she laughs and he nods. He never thought it would be so exhausting but fun at the same time.
“Me, too. Jetlag is not helping.” he mumbles and she nods immediately. She can only imagine how tired the man next to her must be. She intertwines their hands, looks up at him again. A smile on her face. He looks so handsome with a little child asleep on his shoulder. More than he could ever know.
“I think we’ll just do room service tonight, what do you think?”
“Oh, absolutely. I think she’s also done for the day.” he mumbles, looking down at his niece again. She really is fast asleep now, and he hopes they get to wake her up before the fireworks start.
“I can’t believe she hasn’t gotten homesick yet. She’s such a brave little girl.” Taylor says.
“She’s got the best aunt in the world. That’s why.”
Taylor looks up to Trav and smiles. She gently leans in, stealing him a small kiss.
~
“Home sweet home.” Taylor just mumbles, completely worn out, just as much as Travis and the little toddler on his hand. Wyatt’s left arm is trying to hold onto the gigantic stuffed Olaf Travis has gotten her in the gift shop, as well as the shopping bag full of pencils and books and other Disney toys her uncle couldn’t say no to. Travis’ other hand is holding onto the huge Frozen balloon they had to get before leaving Disneyland. She can’t help but smile for a moment. He really did spoil his niece today, and she knows he enjoyed every second of it.
“Thank god.” Travis mumbles, just as exhausted as she is. Taylor smiles at her security in front of the hotel suite once, then closes the door. She lets out a big yawn, fumbles to take off her sneakers without her hands and makes her way back to the two.
“Are you thirsty?” she asks Wyatt, who nods. The little girl’s hair is in all directions and the little braid she’s put her hair into this morning is half down. She’s as exhausted as the two adults are. Travis helps Wyatt take off her shoes and Taylor comes back to the little girl with a glass of water. She sits down next to Wyatt on the sofa, helping her take a few sips from the water glass. She won’t let go of her Olaf ever again. That’s for sure.
“How about we order some dinner, take a quick bath and watch a movie in bed? How does that sound?” she asks the little girl, who just gulps down the water. Taylor’s gently got her arm around her and Wyatt nods.
“Okay.” she says, still completely focused on Olaf. Travis lets out another yawn and Taylor laughs. After her nap, Wyatt seems to be more alive than both the adults in this hotel suite.
“I’m starving.” Travis mumbles, now taking off his own shoes. Taylor is already looking through the food menu by the little table right next to the sofa.
“Wy, do you like fries and chicken nuggets?” she asks and the little girl nods. It seems she doesn’t really need anything else to be happy, already unpacking all of the other toys she just got from her uncle.
“Mayo or Ketchup?”
“No Mayo.” Trav mumbles from the end of the suite. Taylor looks at him with a smirk, rolling her eyes.
“Hey, I didn’t ask uncle Trav. Wyatt, do you want your fries with Mayo and Ketchup?”
“Yeah.” she mumbles unimpressed and Tay gets up to walk up to her fiancé. He’s just standing next to his side of the bed, charging his phone. Taylor sits down next to where he stands, still looking at the food menu.
“How about sushi? They have a big platter with sashimi and..”
“Yeah sounds great.” he says, drops his phone on the night stand and falls onto the bed right next to her. He lays down on his back, closing his eyes for a moment. She hasn’t seen him this worn out in a long time, and it does amuse her in a way that the only person able to tire the three-time-superbowl champion like this is a four year old girl and Disneyland.
An hour later, the room is filled with empty plates, full stomachs and tired faces. The three have now changed into their pajamas and the sun is slowly going down in the city. Taylor has no idea how Wyatt is still awake, but she sits right there, fully awake in between Travis and her on the big bed, watching Tangled with Olaf on her lap. Travis is doing his best to stay awake, Taylor has noticed. He always gets more affectionate when he’s tired, and she can feel him doing his best to not fall asleep since minutes already. He’s now sitting up in bed once more, his hand wandering over Wyatt’s head to land on Taylor’s cheek. He strokes her skin gently a few times, and Taylor turns to him smiling, then looking back to Wyatt. She can see her little eye lids are also shutting close every few minutes. Maybe, it’s time to call it a day.
Her hand is slowly wandering to Wyatt and Taylor caresses her arm a few times.
“Sweetie, should we tuck you into bed and tell you a good night story?”
Wyatt doesn’t react, and Taylor looks at Travis, just hoping this won’t be the beginning of another break down. Wyatt then sits up, and to her surprise she shakes her head.
“I want to stay here with you and uncle Trav.” she whispers. Taylor immediately nods, and so does Travis.
“Of course, baby girl.” he says, his arm around her. Taylor can already see Wyatt’s face changing a little. She’s not just tired, but also starting to get emotional. Time to get this child to sleep.
“When is my mommy coming?” she asks, her chin trembling. Travis immediately sits up and so does Taylor.
“Just two more sleeps and mommy and daddy will be here. Are you looking forward to see mommy?” Taylor asks gently and Wyatt nods. She knew the little girl would eventually get homesick. But it breaks her heart more than she thought it would.
“Yeah, I miss mommy.” she says, looking down and Taylor can already see a tear running down her cheek and landing on little Olaf. Taylor’s heart immediately breaks, but Travis is faster than she is. He just pulls Wyatt onto his lap, hugging her as close as possible. Her little head lands on his chest and he shields her with his big hand gently. Taylor can hear the little cries and her heart breaks some more.
“Oh baby girl, don’t worry. Mommy will be here so soon. So so soon. I promise you that.” he kisses the small head a few times. Slowly, her cries get less and less but Taylor has another idea.
“Should we call mommy? Let’s say hi to mommy, Wy.” Taylor says and Wyatt suddenly looks up to Taylor. Travis smiles, his fingers already wiping the little tears from the small cheek.
“That’s a great idea, let’s talk to mommy.” he says supporting Taylor, just steals the little head another kiss. It takes less than two minutes and Taylor has FaceTimed Kylie. She immediately passes the phone to Wyatt and it really does the trick. Within a few seconds, her tears are forgotten and Wyatt excitedly tells her mom about all the Disney princesses she’s met and starts walking around the room to show her all the other toys she got from uncle Trav. Taylor smiles at Travis, uses this moment to cuddle closer to him in bed for a moment. After all, that spot in his arms was taken by Wyatt all day. He just gently kisses the top of her head, whispers a few I love yous into her hair before letting go again. Taylor looks up at him and smiles back.
“I think there will be a child in our bed tonight.” she mumbles. He nods, fixing a strand of hair behind her ear.
“I think so too.” he says and she can’t help but steal him a little kiss. His eyes are small but still full of love for her. She knows exactly what he’s thinking in this moment and she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t thinking the same.
Congrats, you made it. I created the safety fic. Wrote this in one day so be kind xx
“Okay, we’ll just go up, change, i’ll pop some advil and we’re good to go. Actually, do you want to order a snack from room service? When I saw the portion size at dinner, I already knew in my head that we might have to try the wings from the menu after all…”
The elevator doors close behind her and Travis just grins at the woman standing right in front of him. He feels a little buzzed, but far from being drunk. It’s that stage of feeling the alcohol that is nothing but feeling full of energy, letting loose, just… being happy. Happy because the blonde woman in his arms is as bubbly as he loves her to be. She’s light as a feather, as comfortable as she could possibly be right now. Which is something he hasn’t always been able to witness ever since she came into his life and turned everything upside down. He soaks up these moments, witnesses them in their full glory. There’s nothing quite as peaceful as seeing her happy. And it’s slowly becoming the one thing he wants to see for the rest of his life.
“We’ll do whatever you’re up to.” he ensures her once more. His hand wandering to her left cheek, gently stroking a strand of hair behind her ear. She smiles for a moment, her eyes sparkling a little bit as she moves closer to him, signaling him that she needs a kiss right now. Despite Ray standing right next to them, Travis leans down to her height, kissing her lips softly.
The massive elevator doors open with a ringing sound. Ray enters the upper level first, followed by Travis with Taylor holding his hand. It’s quiet in this part of the luxury Las Vegas hotel, nothing but the noise of Taylor’s high heels audible on the carpet. And Travis knows why. They’re the only ones staying on this floor, renting out a gorgeous suite with a view over the Las Vegas strip for the night. As much as he loves the crowds and the fun of Las Vegas - he’s learned to appreciate the silence, the privacy, the quietness he’s never been able to fully enjoy before. But now, there’s nothing as calming as being alone with her. Just him and her, and the whole world can wait. He’s found a form of peace and safety in the idea of being able to enjoy downtime not just alone, but with another human being. Before her, he could never sit with someone in silence. Before her… a time he can’t quite recall without the ache in his chest of wondering how he ever made it through the ups and downs of life without her by his side, holding his hand through all of it.
“I will be right outside.” Ray politely lets the both of them know once they get to their room. He opens the suite with a magnetic key card and the door open for the couple.
“Thanks, buddy.” Travis pats his shoulder, letting Taylor enter their hotel suite first. He closes the door behind them, watches Taylor make her way to the little night stand in the bedroom. In her gorgeous, dark green evening gown she sits down on her side of the bed, starts to rummage through her cosmetic bag. Travis just drops the jacket of his suit over the chair in front of him. Finally. He knows that him feeling warm and sweaty all night is nothing new. But wearing a suit tonight did not make it any more comfortable for him to be a real life yeti. Before attempting to change his outfit for the fun part of the night, he picks up the phone next to the tv remote, just presses a button. The blonde woman looks up at him confused, still trying to find the left over pack of advil that she threw into her little bag after getting back from Big Sur last weekend.
“Hi, I’m calling from room 1002. I would like to order some room service.”
The big man with the phone on his ear turns to her, and she smiles thankfully at him. Of course he would make sure she’s got everything she could possibly need in this moment.
“Yeah, I would like to get some wings. How many are on one plate? 5?”
“Get two.” she whispers from across the room.
“Alright, then two plates please. Also can we get another bottle of water and..”
“Diet coke, babe.” she whispers again.
“And two diet cokes.” he adds. “with ice.”
“Also, can we add some sauces to that? Do you… yes, great. We’ll go with that then. And a portion of mayonnaise, please.” he says, and she giggles at him, sending him a little butterfly kiss from across the room. She knows how much he hates mayonnaise, but she also knows that he is well aware of how much she loves it. One of the millions of kind gestures she was forced to get used to in the past months of being with this man.
“Thank you!” he says, then hangs up the phone again.
“You are just the best.” she says, dramatically, making him laugh. She’s gotten up from her spot on the bed by now, reaching for the half empty bottle of water standing next to him. Her hand lands on his shoulder and he can’t help but put his over hers for a moment.
“Of course I am.” he jokes, confusedly watches her pour herself some water into a glass. She then swallows two of the pills in her hand, emptying the glass of water in just a few seconds. He’s stood up by now, standing right in front of her with his white shirt still tucked into his trousers. His big hands on her shoulders, his eyes a little more longing than they were before.
“You good?” he asks, and she places the glass next to her again, a little out of breath from drinking the whole thing at once.
“Yeah, just.. headache. Will be better soon.”
“How’s your sunburn?”
“I’ll be fine, Trav.” she says, almost in a giggle because he’s been concerned all night. He gently moves the spaghetti straps of her dress over her shoulders. The fabric has clearly left a mark on the already redenned shoulders of hers. He lets out a compassionate sigh, then moves down to press a few butterfly kisses on her skin.
She giggles slightly. Partly because his beard tickles her, and partly because this is the third time tonight that he can’t help but love up on her sunburn.
“Your poor shoulders.” he mumbles in between the kisses.
“They’ll get through it.” she replies amusedly, as he lifts his head again, just looks apologetically into her face. She can read instantly what is going through his head. He feels responsible for her not feeling at her best tonight, because she stood right in the hot Arizona sun all day for him - watching him golf with Patrick, supporting him as recklessly as she always does.
“How ‘bout we just skip the party, undress and throw our own little party?” he mumbles, loves feeling her hands on his beard. She gently strokes his skin, a grin on her lips while gently shaking her head.
“My love, we’re here for work. For a good cause. I’m fine. I would tell you if I wasn’t.”
He nods, admires her once more for her strength, her commitment in supporting him and the things that matter to him. A feeling he hasn’t had with anybody else before. He doesn’t speak, enjoys feeling her hands in his neck. He leans closer to her, his nose touching hers.
“I love you so much, baby.” he just whispers, and she giggles, lifting her face to kiss the tip of his nose once.
“I love you, Trav.”
“Kiss?” he requests, and she leans in to press her lips against his. He sighs slightly, tasting the cherry flavour of her lipstick once more.
“Alright, let’s get ready.”
“What are you gonna wear?” she asks him, starts to go through her suitcase at the end of the room. She slowly kneels down, starts to rummage through the big case. He can’t help but laugh at her. In her ridiculously expensive dress, she just sits on the floor, going through the piles of clothes she was too lazy to move away this morning. All whilst his clothes are neatly folded and hung up in the built-in hotel closet. This clearly is one of their major differences. He likes having control over his possessions. Likes taking care of his things, having a system. Clarity. Neatness. And just like a little beautiful hurricane of joy, Taylor likes to let her things pile up, doesn’t really care about the materialistic things she owns. So chairs become hangers for pants and jackets. TV screens become a storage unit for long gucci gowns. All her shoes are just kicked aside right next to where she sits on the floor. She truly likes to live in a creative chaos. A beautiful, creative chaos.
“Just something comfortable. That’s for sure.”
“Mhm, this one?” she asks, holds up a little off-shoulder black dress. “or this one?”
“The black one.” he says, slowly unbuttoning his shirt to change. “Gives your sunburned shoulders some room to breathe.”
~
A big hand in her back, the moving lights on his face, the loud bass of music vibing so loudly, he can feel it in his bones. He can immediately tell that all eyes are on him and the woman in his arm. A normal reaction to being basically anywhere with her. He looks at Ray behind him, giving him a hand to signal clearly that he’s got her. He will not go anywhere without her consent. The next thing he notices is Patrick waving at him from across the room, signaling his friend to join him where they’re hanging out.
Together with Taylor, he tries to make his way through the crowd, phone cameras in the darkness right in her face the moment she is noticed. He looks down at her, his hand still more than protectively in her back. She’s forcing a smile, suppressing a yawn. He doesn’t care what she’s telling him. He knows she’s not feeling at her best tonight.
“Say a word and we’ll leave.” he says in her ear, hoping she could understand him through the noise. She looks up at him, a gentle smile on her lips and the little twinkle in her eyes that he loves so much. Her small hand moves to his chest, and she nods, her lips just forming a low “okay”.
A few moments later they have finally reached Britanny and Patrick, who were just chatting with a few other people through the noise. Taylor immediately goes to hug Britanny and Amber and Travis turns around to look for Ray. Travis then reaches for Taylor’s hands once more, makes her turn around to signal her that he will leave for a moment to get a drink. She just nods, doesn’t really react much and just keeps on chatting to the women in front of her. Travis once more turns around, signaling Ray now that he’s leaving for a moment. The security guard immediately steps up closer to Taylor, keeping his eyes on her surroundings. Only a few moments later, the big football player steps closer to his group of friends again, nodding at Ray who immediately steps aside and loosens up again. Travis doesn’t interrupt Taylor who is laughing with Britanny about something. He just hands her a drink, and she smiles at him thankfully for a moment. Vodka Cranberry. Her favorite.
Travis now turns to Patrick and Ross, as well as David Brooker who stands right next to them. He’s honored when the man approaches him, gushing to him about how impressed he’s been with his performance this past season. How excited he is for what’s ahead for Travis. He can’t believe David Brooker even knows who he is. Just one of these moments, in which he can’t believe that this is his life.
~
Time flies, drinks flow, and people approach him for some small talk. Every now and then, he makes sure to go and check up on Taylor, who has been her chatty self all evening. It’s always been one of his dreams. Having a partner support him at these events. Someone who’s as personable as he is. Someone who can have a good chat with anyone he works with. And he loves her for it. He loves to feel this unimaginable support for the first time in his life.
With free hands, he steps up behind her. The faces of the women in front of Taylor already wandering to the tall man appearing behind her. His big hands make their way between her arms landing right on her stomach. She immediately melts into his arms, a big smile on her face as she feels his gentle kiss on her cheek.
“You good, baby girl?” he mumbles right into her ear, making sure no one else hears his words, no one else except her. She just looks up at him, both her hands firmly on his, and she nods.
“Yeah, you?” she asks to check on him, turns around in his arms, and seems glad to see him nod with a smile on his face. He loves to feel her hands move into the familiar spot on his cheek, a sign that she wants to be close to him. He leans down, kissing her. This time, he can feel her giggle into the kiss, and even through the loud music in the background he can feel her sigh. She pulls back, a giggle on her lips, and fire in her eyes.
“Not here.” he just mumbles and she starts laughing in shock, unable to process that he thinks this kiss implied that she would ever do something as risky as hooking up with him in a public place.
“I did not insinuate that, oh my god.” she defends herself immediately, laughing as he presses her closer to him. He kisses her hair a few times, moving closer to mumble into her ear while hugging her closely.
“As I said, I’m happy to leave anytime. Like, literally anytime.”
She laughs once more, slowly pulls back from him, pretends to hit him once. But it just makes him laugh more. She just shakes her head, but her eyes are saying something very different. She can’t wait to get closer to him, either.
“Tay, do you want another drink?” Britanny suddenly interrupts the two, Taylor nods, says something to the smaller blonde woman, which is incomprehendable to him. She then turns around again, facing Travis. He laughs at her, a bit surprised about the fact that she decided to let loose tonight after all. But he’s glad. He’s so glad she’s enjoying herself in his circles.
~
His phone screen lights up through the dark, and for a moment he’s surprised. 3.12am. He can’t believe how late it already is. And he can feel the buzz slowly turning into something more. He finishes his almost empty glass, making a mental note to himself to not drink anymore tonight. He’s not drunk, but he knows that he will be hung over if he keeps on drinking now.
Travis places the empty glass next to Patrick’s, checks the text on his phone that he just received a moment ago, then locks his phone again before letting it slide into his pocket. He looks over to where Miranda and Britanny are standing. For a moment, he searches the tall blonde sticking out next to them. But she’s nowhere in sight. Travis moves his head, looking to the other side of the packed night club. She’s not standing next to Amber either. Her security is also nowhere in sight. He feels a wave of worry rise in his chest, slowly stands up. He shouldn’t have that last drink. Trav slowly makes his way over to Britanny. She looks at him, buzzed as well, struggling to understand him as he speaks into her ear. She finally understands then after a few moments, nodding, letting him know that Taylor had made her way to the ladies a few minutes ago. For a moment, he feels the anxiety in his chest dissolve again. He didn’t know this side about himself. He didn’t know this overprotective side, which Taylor clearly has brought out in him. With firm steps, he makes his way through the crowd, people high-fiving him, patting his shoulders. But he’s got a destination this time, and won’t get distracted by the small talk surrounding him. He finally can see the lid up restroom sign next to the bar. That’s when he spots Ray, both eyes on the crowds in front of the door leading to the ladies bathrooms. He’s thankful for him. Thankful to know that she’s always got someone looking out for her.
“Tay’s in the bathroom?” he asks, and Ray nods. Trav just waits next to the security guard, taking out his phone once more. 3.17am. She must be as tired as him, probably ready to head off. After a few seconds of waiting, he then witnesses a swarm of women exit the bathroom. He just stands there, smiling apologetically. After all, he knows how creepy it must come across to stand right in front of the women’s bathrooms just staring. A few moments later, a certain blonde finally makes her way outside. Her hair wavy, her short black dress showcasing her incredible legs, an empty glass in her hand, walking a bit more unsteady than she usually does. He has to let out a giggling breath, his smile turning even bigger when she sees him.
“Hi baby.” she says loudly, her hands immediately reaching for him. He just laughs at her, placing both his hands on her hips.
“Are you a little tipsy?” he laughs, gives her a happy kiss and Taylor laughs as well, nodding heavily. He just embraces her in a gentle hug, feels the cameras of people’s phone facing them, yet he doesn’t even care. Presses a few kisses on her cheek before letting go.
“I am and.. I don’t even know why. I just had two drinks, but I can really feel it. How did you notice?”
He pulls back and nods, taking the empty glass from her.
“You went to the bathroom with an empty glass, babe. And took it back out with you. That’s how I can tell.”
She suddenly looks at the glass Travis just took from her, then looks back at him in disbelief and starts to laugh again. This time, she’s covering her mouth in embarrassment.
“Oh my god, I.. I officially am losing it.”
“You’re so funny.” he mumbles after leaving the glass on the counter of the bar. “Want to take off?”
She just shakes her head immediately.
“Noooo, not yet.” she reacts a bit too intense for his taste.
“There’s this guy, who’s hilarous.” she mouths in his ear, and for a moment he feels his churn in confusion. “He claims to be one of your best friends. And I was like..” she pulls back, folding her arms together in a dramatic manner, “okay, sure, babe. You’re Trav’s best friend but you haven’t hung out in a year? Mhm, sure thing.”
He smiles at her, can’t recall a time he’s witnessed her this loose and funny.
“Also, I was like… sorry, but I’m Trav’s best friend, okay? I am.” she mumbles, almost aggressively, and it makes his heart beat faster for a moment. With his hands on her hips, he pulls her closer. She suddenly looks up at him a bit worried. “I am your best friend, right?”
He smiles again, nods slowly.
“You are. You’re my best friend.” he mumbles into her ear in the hug, feeling her head rest on his shoulder. She really is very much drunk tonight, and he’s living for this hilarious version of his girlfriend.
“You’re my best friend, too, Trav.” she says then, again, a tad too loud than she usually would, but he doesn’t mind.
“Sure you don’t want to leave?”
She slowly pulls back, nods with a smile.
“Just thirty more minutes, okay?” she says, and he nods. He’s glad she got to let loose tonight, even if that’s not something he thought would happen today. He can see very well that she’s drunk, but he wants her to have this moment. Especially her. The person who is always so well put together. He gets to let go like this more often than she does. And he’s happy he gets to be here in the rare occasion that she does let go.
“Alright, let me get you a regular coke, Tay. You need it.” he says with a smile on his face, but a certain seriousness in his tone that she appreciates.
“Yeah, thank you, baby.”
~
“And I said to my wife, Travis Kelce. This guy. This guy will make it.”
Trav just listens to the man in his fifties in front of him gush about him to his colleagues. He blushes a little, pretends to slide a few dollars to the man for his compliments, which makes Patrick, Ross and Harry laugh even more. He turns around for a second, just when he notices Brit approaching Patrick, clearly signaling him that she’s done for the night and ready to hit the hay. He turns around for a moment, finds Taylor still standing next to Amber and Chris. But there’s also another man he hadn’t noticed before. The guy is keeping his distance, clearly, but keeps on talking into Taylor’s ear through the noise. He doesn’t mind to see her chatting to people, men included. But what he doesn’t like is the fact that she seems to constantly loose her own balance in her heels, waddles from the left to the right. He also doesn’t appreciate the man’s hand touching Taylor’s naked arm. A boundary she would never let a stranger man cross. But she’s not moving. Something doesn’t feel right to him.
Travis slowly leaves the group of people he was just talking to, and makes his way up to his girlfriend. He places his hand on her back but she doesn’t react. The man next to her has stopped talking to her, just nods at Travis with a weird smile. Travis however, looks at Taylor confusedly now, his hand on her back caressing her gently. Nothing. She still hasn’t clocked that he’s got his hand on her bare back. He starts to worry slightly. All she does is hold her empty glass in both her hands, looking into a void.
“Baby?”
She suddenly notices him.
“Oh hey.”
Taylor faces him, and he immediately knows she’s not okay. Her eyes are glassy, her pupils are dilated. She’s very much pale, trying to balance herself on her heels.
“You okay?” he whispers into her ear, ready to take her to her hotel room. It’s been a fun night but her current state is something he hadn’t experienced before since knowing her. The fun is over for him. And it clearly is for her.
“What?” she looks up at him again, struggling to understand any of his words right now.
“You feeling okay?” he asks again, and she seems to slowly understand through the noise.
“Yeah, just talking to Amber and Chris.” she responds to him, and he doesn’t believe her for a second. Amber is fully focused on chatting to Miranda who stands right next to her. No Chris is even in sight. Travis looks back at his girlfriend, very well aware that she’s trying to act normal, which worries him even more. He can see she’s not feeling well, and he wishes she would admit it to him.
“You sure?”
She nods, both hands still clinging onto the empty glass.
“Want to leave?”
She shakes her head again. Something is up. She seems different than the tipsy, drunk Taylor he kissed by the bathroom twenty minutes ago. She’s not just drunk. There’s a kind of apathy filling her eyes that wrenches his gut. He hates seeing her this unstable, unsure. His hand on her back drawing gentle circles. He leans his head down to her again, pressing a kiss into her shoulder. Her skin is still hot from the sunburn she got today. But her confused look after he kissed her makes him feel more unsettled than before.
“I really think we should head out, sweetie.” he tries again, but she doesn’t react. Still stares into nothing, pretending to look at the people in front of her who are clearly drawn to their own conversations.
“Can you.. can you get me some water?” she says then. Travis leans closer to hear her properly, immediately nods as soon as he understands what she needs. He presses a kiss onto her cheek, clearly worried, reaching for the empty glass in her hands. He has no idea what she’s been drinking, but he surely knows that this is not the same glass from before, when she was nibbling on the full sugar coke he got her. But Taylor won’t let go of the empty glass. It’s only just then that he realizes how tightly she’s clenching it. A bit confused but more worried than before, Travises hand lands on her back for the fifth time tonight.
“Babe, if you give me the empty glass, I can..”
“Oh, sorry.” she mumbles, lets go of the glass suddenly. Travis looks around for a bit, trying to scan the room for Brittany. He can’t seem to find her anywhere though.
“Hey, how about you sit down for a moment while I get you some water?”
She suddenly doesn’t fight him anymore, almost stumbles over her own feet while walking with him. She then sits down on one of the lounges by the side. He quickly waves towards Ray, signals him to come closer. The security guard immediately looks concerned, but Travis just whispers in his ear to stay here with her while he’s getting her a glass of water. The man nods, remains close to Taylor while being fully focused on her surroundings again. While making his way to the bar, Travis feels worry rise in him. Like a tidal wave, slowly, but with a force he hadn’t experienced before. He realizes in this moment that this is the first time he really cares about someone. More than himself. He wouldn’t mind if anything happened to him if it would mean that the clumsy, tall blonde sitting on this lounge is okay and happy.
While walking to the bar, he keeps on looking back to where she sits to make sure she’s okay. This is not the first time he’s witnessed her being drunk. But it is the first time he’s witnessed her this out of it. Just sits there like an empty shell, staring into nothing, not talking to anyone, not being chatty or giggly anymore.
As he makes his way back to her, just a few moments later, is when his intrusive thoughts of worry finally win. This time, she’s not sitting there as apathetic and motionless as she was before. This time, she’s sitting there, looking from left to right like a terrified deer on a dark road. It’s not hard to see how anxious she is. Not hard notice her leg moving uncontrollably. She’s looking around with a lost look on her face. He can’t believe it, but she looks.. scared? Scared of her surroundings, looking down at her hands every few seconds to make sure they’re still there. Her little prada handbag fell to the floor and she didn’t even notice. As soon as Travis sits down next to her again, right after having picked up her bag is when Taylor reaches for his arm, and he notices just now how heavy she’s breathing.
“Something is wrong.” she mumbles through the loud music of the night club.
“Tay…”
“I don’t feel good. I.. don’t feel good at all. I can’t see properly, and my hands...” she says with panic in her voice , leaning forward to cradle her head in her hands. Almost as if her hands could help her see clearly again. But it’s not working. She panics even more when she realizes that it’s not working, looks back down at her hands again.
“I can’t see and I can’t feel my hands and… I feel really sick.” she whimpers then, is on the verge of crying.
“I’m really scared, baby. I…” Her hands keep reaching for his, and he manages to place his arm protectively around her. The water glass in his other hand. He takes a deep breath. They need to get out of here. Right now.
“Have some water, here.”
He can see her trying to reach for the glass in his hand, but she misses it. Everything she sees, she sees double. Trav looks at her in deep worry. It seems like she lost full control over her hands and once she notices herself, he can see the purest form of panic in her drowsy eyes. She’s close to tears, trying to reach for the glass with shaking hands.
“I...” she starts to take quick and short breaths. For a moment, Travis reaches for her sweaty and cold hand. By no means is he calm in this moment, but he wants to prevent her from collapsing or hyperventilating.
“Hey, everything’s alright. I got you. You’re safe.”
He carefully helps her press the glass onto her mouth. With shaking hands, she gulps down the water glass, both hands holding desperately onto his with closed eyes. When she’s done, she opens her eyes again, almost disappointed that the weird feeling hasn’t passed. She still sees everything double, feels like fainting any second. Trav has his arm around her, and she’s holding his hand with both of her hands. But he feels so far away. She’s scared. Scared to loose control. Scared of what is happening to her. Scared.
Travis places the now empty water glass next to him, can see in Ray’s face that the securty guard is starting to get worried, too. There’s cameras pointing at her, and the last thing he wants is for people to notice her struggling. She’s more vulnerable in this moment than she’s ever been in public, he knows. And he will do anything in his power to not cause a scene in here with her.
“She’s.. she’s not feeling well.” he explains to the security guard. “We’ll leave now but I don’t want people to… can you.. can you just walk first and we..?”
Travis clearly struggles to find the right words to make sense in this moment but the man in front of him nods, and immediately understands.
Trav gets up, helps Taylor stand up as well. He pulls her into a hug as her knees are about to give in.
“I want to go home, please. I want to..”
“I’ll get you home. We’re going home now. Don’t worry, okay. I got you. Just take a moment to breathe, and then we will walk right to our hotel room.” he whispers, knowing that his instructions right now just fall on deaf ears. She quietly cries into his shoulder, her breathing patterns being as fast as before. All she does is whimmer into his ear, begging him for help. He feels sick. Not sure whether she needs an ambulance, an IV or just a whole lot of rest. The only thing that clocks right in this moment for him is the fact that she was drugged. That someone, probably the strange guy from before, has slipped something into her drink to knock her out and make her as weak as she is now. It’s not his first time in Las Vegas, and it’s not the first time he’s witnessed a young woman collapse in some night club because a disgusting guy had something else in mind. He’s well aware about so-called ‘rape drugs’ but never in a million years did he think that it would shatter him this deeply to witness someone as pure and beautiful and strong as Taylor fall victim to this crime.
It might not be the first time he’s witnessing someone being drugged, but in this moment, while hearing her cries in his ear, is when he realizes that it is his first time witnessing someone he loves soo deeply being abused right in front of his eyes. Someone he swore he would protect at all costs. Someone who came here, to this place, just for him, relying on him to be safe.
She thought she was safe here with him.
“Trav..” she cries into his ear again, her arm moving up and down his, almost as if she’s looking for him. But he’s right here. Right here holding her in his arms.
“I’m here, I’m always here. Just close your eyes, and hold on, okay? You can do it.” He whispers into her ear over and over again. Cameras are pointing at them, even more so when the DJ decides to play one of Taylor’s songs as part of his set. The people in this club start singing it to her, yet Taylor is nowhere near being able to react. He doesn’t want her to have to witness this moment in her current state, just lovingly presses her face into his neck, turning his head to kiss her. His left hand is holding her upright while making his way through the crowd with her. His right hand is gently on her head, pressing it against his chest and shielding her from the crowds. It takes two minutes to get to the exit of the club. Two horrifying minutes until they have finally left the busy club and step into the big lobby connecting the club to their hotel. A few drunk people make their way over to them, phones directed at the both of them, asking Taylor for a picture. Travis is glad to find Ray pushing people out of the way whilst he’s busy just getting her to the elevator at the end of the room. He feels her exhausted moans with every step she has to take. Oh, what he would give to be able to carry her in this moment. What he would give to not have any people standing in this lobby, filming their every step.
With his hand still pressing her head against his chest is when they finally make it to the elevator. Ray presses the button and they step inside. It takes another two seconds and the doors close. Finally. In this moment, he can finally breathe. With one swift motion, he’s lifted Taylor up, now carries her bridal style while standing in the elevator. Ray looks at Travis concerned, who’s just fully focused on Taylor. She mumbles a few anxious, crying, incomprehensible things into his chest. But all he does is kiss her, assure her that he’s here, that she’s not alone, that he’s taking care of her now.
“Does she need a doctor?” Ray says, doesn’t want to overstep Travis but is well aware that it’s his duty to make sure she’s safe. He’s getting paid to keep this woman safe and right now, she’s passed out in her boyfriend’s arms.
Travis looks into Ray’s eyes, and he shamefully nods. He feels so embarrassed to look into the security guard’s face. To know that this man also relied on Travis being there, while he kept his distance.
“I think someone put something in her drink when I.. when I wasn’t there. I just don’t want to.. to find any tweets about this tomorrow. I’ll call Tree first and get someone to look at her.”
Ray nods, asking Travis if he needs help. He shakes his head, is way too focused on Taylor in his arms. Her eyes are fully closed now, but she’s not sleeping. Suffering cries are still escaping her mouth every few seconds. Her hand is clawing into his shirt. Almost as if she’s desperate to hold onto him. Travis leans down again, kissing her face once more. He’s sweating, full of panic. All he can do is assure her that he’s here. That she’s safe. That she’s finally safe. For the first time really tonight.
A few moments later the elevator doors opens again and Travis manages to carry Taylor into the suite. Ray opens the door to their bedroom and helps Travis step inside with Taylor on his arm. He slowly walks up to her side of the bed, almost stumbling over one of her shoes she just dropped next to her bed before when getting ready for this night out. Breathing heavily, he slowly lays her down on top of the bed sheets. He just swallows seeing her so weak. Just the thought of this guy from before having exactly this view in mind makes him feel sick. Travis sits down on the bed right next to her, starts to unbutton the clasps of her heels.
“Do you need help?”
“No, I’m.. I’m just gonna undress her so that she’s more comfortable and then call Tree. Can you… step outside please?” he says. Travis looks into Ray’s eyes and clearly sees him hesitate for a moment. He understands that his job is to make sure Taylor is safe. But in this moment, the only thing Travis cares about is that Taylor feels safe. And he will never in a million years strip her naked in her most vulnerable state, in front of a man who is working for her.
“Buddy, I’m taking care of her. Please give us some privacy.” he says, adding a slightly annoyed “Please.”
The brown-haired man nods slowly, then closes the hotel door behind him. As soon as the door falls into the lock, Travis stops for a moment, just to breathe. He keeps on fiddling to unbutton the clasp of her high heels, realizing quickly that it’s difficult to open these with his big ass fingers. After a moment he then finally succeeds, carefully sliding the shoes from her feet. He looks back into her face, glad to have finally found her in a somewhat comfortable position. She doesn’t move, has both her eyes closed and doesn’t seem to notice him undressing her. The make up on her face is smudged from crying. Trav feels tears building up in his own eyes, just seeing her like this. He hates to do this to her, but has to reach for both of her shoulders to help her sit up for a moment. She opens her eyes, still seems to be asleep as he pulls her forward to let her fall into a hug with him. She turns her head, nuzzling into his neck as he starts to unzip the back of her black dress. She will thank him tomorrow for not making her sleep in this tight party dress.
“Almost done, baby. You’ll be so much more comfortable when this is off.” he mumbles. She lets out a cooing sound, and Travis carefully lets her fall back onto the pillow. She mumbles something incomprehensible again as he starts to pull down her dress. She’s not wearing a bra, and within a few seconds she’s lying there, on top of her bedsheet, fully exposed, in nothing but her thong. She doesn’t move as he just carefully hangs her dress over the chair behind him. The chair full of her stuff, that he so amusedly made fun about earlier today. Earlier, when she was just her bubbly, happy self. Not another drugged girl getting undressed while being unconscious.
Travis feels tears building up in his eyes, again, and for a moment he realizes how sweaty he really is. Not because he just carried her to the room, but because the panic and fear on the inside are getting the very best of him right now.
He reaches for his big red KC shirt that she always sleeps in, manages to pull the shirt over her head, and walk her dead arms into each sleeve, one by one. She just lets out a loud sigh.
“I know, baby. I know.”
A few seconds later, after having properly dressed her, he fiddles the blanket under her and manages to tuck her in. Finally. And then, for a moment, it’s finally silent. He just sits there, watching her sleep. His hand moves to her head, stroking gently over her head as he feels a tear run down his cheek. All he wanted was for her to have a fun weekend with him in Vegas. All she did was fly out for him, and ended up getting violated like this, under his own eyes. Trav moves closer to her and kisses her hot forehead a few times.
“You’re safe now. You’re safe. I’m right here, baby. I’m so sorry. So sorry.” he whispers, not sure if his words are meant to calm the blonde sleeping woman or himself. He double checks once more if her feet are properly tucked into the blanket, knowing very well that she gets cold feet quickly. Travis then stands up, reaching for the phone in his pocket and leaves the bedroom to call Tree.
~
With shaking hands, Travis just sits there, leaning against the bed rest, listening to the man in front of him talk while not letting go of Taylor’s head on the pillow. He tries to take mental notes, feels the imminent pressure to make sure to remember everything exactly as the doctor is saying it. It’s okay for her to move in her sleep with the IV still attached. When she wakes up, he can help her remove the tube from her arm. If she wakes up before the IV liquid is fully absorbed, he needs to give her another aspirin tablet. If she starts to feel sick, it’s important to make sure she’s in a stable position. She should regain consciousness in a bit, but it’s advised for her to get another IV drip tomorrow morning. She will be okay. And if she’s not, he’s recommended to call 911 immediately.
Travis just nods, taking mental notes. Ray is standing there at the other side of the room, still talking to Tree on the phone. Travis just slowly lets go of Taylor, gets up to thank the doctor for everything. He’s still shaking, still trying to make sense of what happened tonight. He’s just glad that a medical professional has looked at her. That her body is now being flushed with lots of nutrients and fluids to help get rid of whatever drug she was given. Ray hangs up the phone, as Travis signals him to come closer. It’s still pitch dark outside, the lights of the Las Vegas strip not looking half as magical as they did this morning. This morning when Taylor was her normal self, standing by these floor to ceiling windows. Her happy self being in awe, excited for a day at the golf field. And him holding her in his arms, appreciating each giggle escaping her lips with a gentle kiss on her cheek. The same morning, in which a certain person was probably already plotting to secretly mix something into her system. Knowing that she would be going out tonight. Knowing that he would give her space to chat with her friends, network, talk to strangers.
Space to get drugged and taken advantage of.
“I need to run downstairs and grab some sugary drinks for when she wakes up. Can you please stay here with her for a few minutes in case she wakes up?” Travis asks the security guard and Ray nods, a little confused about Travises sudden change of mind. A few minutes ago he wouldn’t dare to leave Taylor out of sight, but now he seems eager to run downstairs?
Travis thanks him, leaves everything he owns, including his phone, in this room with her. With determined steps, he leaves the hotel room before the doctor even can, approaching the elevator doors as quickly as humanly possible.
Driven by adrenaline and aggression, more than he’s ever felt before, Travis enters the night club again, just seconds later. He can immediately spot Ross and Harry, who are both approaching him with worried looks on their faces.
“Bro, are you okay? Brit said that she saw you and…”
But Travis doesn’t hear any of it. All he can see is the man from before still standing there, talking to a group of women. His brain is fully shut, and his instincts are taking over. As soon as he approaches the group, the man’s eyes look up to Travis. Within a split second, Travis’ fist lands in the man’s face. A solid punch. There’s blood running down his nose and people looking at him in shock. The women next to them are jolting to the side. The guy is holding his nose with a look on his face that shows Travis clearly that he knew exactly what this was for.
“You little piece of shit, don’t you ever try that again.”
Both Harry and Ross have witnessed the situation, just gently holding Travis back as a security guard from the night club gets closer to them.
“Man, calm down. I bought her a drink. Nothing more.”
“He fucking drugged Tay.” Travis says to his friends in a rage, who both are trying to calm him. “This asshole is out here drugging women and you guys don’t do anything?!” he says loudly to the security guards who are signaling Travis to leave the club now before things will get ugly. He feels a new form of anger rise in his chest as he is asked to leave, but Ross and Harry manage to not just hold him back, but convince him to leave the club and make his way out to get some fresh air.
~
Travis is used to feeling exhausted. He’s used to feeling drained, tired and knowing he’s spent all the energy in the world available to him. As an athlete, he’s learned to deal with these moments of lacking energy, learned to push through and know when and how to reload his energy storages. But in this moment, while sitting down next to Taylor on this hotel bed, finally alone with her, he can safely say that he’s never. Never in a million years felt a level of exhaustion as severe as this.
For a third time tonight, he wipes away the sweat standing on his forehead. His gaze falls onto the Las Vegas Strip in front of him. The sun is slowly rising, more and more cars are driving down the streets. The next day is starting, almost as if nothing had happened. It’s all just an endless cycle. The days come, the nights end. No one really cares for you out there. No one really cares about things that happen to you while the world moves slowly on.
He looks down to Taylor again. His world doesn’t. Her left arm is still on top of the bed sheets, connected to the liquid IV standing next to her bedside. There’s still mascara stuck on her cheek and her long, blonde, wavy hair is all over the place. There’s lipstick stains on her chin, but she looks peaceful. She finally does. Travis swallows, gets up and closes the curtains. Sleep. Sleep is what both of them need after this night. He pulls his shirt over his head, takes off his pants and just drops them on the floor. He likes to be in control of things, like to keep his things neat. But none of the things he possesses matter when it comes to her. Just the thought of losing her, of not being able to protect her, not being her safe haven tonight has made everything else feel so irrelevant to him. From the very first moment he fell for this woman, was when he promised himself and her to always keep her safe. He let her down tonight. He let her security team down too, but mostly, her.
There’s a deep and heavy pressure on his chest. He’s guilty. He’s failed her.
Travis slips under the blanket too, finally placing his head on his pillow. It’s dark in the room now, but not as dark as he’d like it to be. The daylight is still fighting its way through the curtains. He places his arm protectively over her body, checking that the IV is still properly attached to her arm. He gets closer to her, kissing her cheek again. He sighs, allows himself to close his eyes for a moment then.
“What happened?”
His eyes shut open in shock and to his surprise, he finds her looking at him. Her eyes are tiny and red, but her face is fully turned to him. He feels a wave of relief washing over him, followed by the need to just cry like a baby. He knew she would be okay, but being able to look into her eyes is giving him endless comfort right now.
“Someone put something in your drink. How are you feeling?” he whispers. He can witness her eyelids still fighting to stay open. His big hand already on her cheek.
“Horrible.” she mumbles. He quickly gets up again and walks over to her side of the bed. In nothing but his boxers, Travis sits down next to her.
“Can you sit up for a moment? You should take this aspirin before going back to sleep. You’ll thank me tomorrow morning.”
She nods, tries to find her strength to sit up, but struggles clearly. Travis helps her immediately, pulls her upright with both of his hands on her arms.
“There you go.” he mumbles, already reaching for the water glass next to her. She looks disoriented, confused. Her eyes wandering to the liquid IV in her arm.
“What..”
“We had a doctor come look at you. This will help you feel better soon, baby.”
She doesn’t react, just nods and opens her mouth for him to place the aspirin pill on her tongue. A second later he then holds the glass of water closer to her mouth and she gulps it down as quickly as she can.
“Good job.” Trav mumbles, placing the glass on her bedside table again. There’s a drop of water running down her chin and his thumb is quick enough to wipe it away for her.
“Did.. did anyone see me like this?” she mumbles then in deep worry, while clearly struggling to stay awake. He snuggles himself under the blanket with her again, helping her lay down properly. This time she’s facing him, makes it clear to him that she wants to be close. His hand lands on her cheek and in her neck, his lips finding their way onto her forehead.
“I don’t think so. I managed to get you up here quickly. Spoke to Tree and the guy who got you the IV signed an NDA. No one will have to find out about this, sweetie. Don’t worry.”
She nods slightly, her eyes closed. Travis takes a deep breath. She needs her sleep. Badly. He kisses her forehead one last time, then lets go of her. As soon as his hand leaves her neck is when she opens her eyes and her dry mouth once more.
“Stay here, please.”
He nods, moves closer and helps her bury herself completely in his arms. Her cold feet are now pressed between his warm legs, and her torso is wrapped fully into his arms. He kisses her head again and again, hoping to get her to fall asleep.
Suddenly she moves again, sitting up for a moment. Trav looks at her, ready to grab the trash can a few inches away from him in case she's getting sick.
“You good…”
She turns around and reaches for his hand. She looks at his bruised hand in shock, then back at him.
“I punched the guy who did this to you. Broke his nose. Also, I’m banned from entering this shitty club ever again. Fucking shit hole.”
She looks at him, drops her head on his chest in disbelief and closes her eyes. He giggles slightly at her reaction, more than glad that she seems to have regained enough consciousness to worry about his bruised hand. His healthy hand now lands on top of her head protectively.
“What the fuck.” she whispers and he can’t argue with her. This whole night is a whole lot of what the fuck.
“I’m just..” he looks at the ceiling, Taylor on his chest, being fully aware of the fact that she’s probably already asleep again.
“I’m just so sorry for not.. not being there when this happened. I never wanted you to feel unsafe with me. I just..”
“You’re literally the safest place I’ve ever known, idiot.” She croaks then, and he looks down and swallows. He didn’t expect her to answer him, didn’t expect her to actually hear him and certainly did not expect her to say something as fundamental as this.
“I think..” she’s tired, struggling to find words and Travis moves immediately, his finger on her lips, signaling her that she doesn’t have to say anything to him right now. She needs to rest. That’s all she needs to do. Taylor understands, her eyes closed again. Travis kisses her forehead one last time before attempting to get some sleep as well.
“I think I’m so lucky that something like this happened to me when you were there. And even when I couldn’t walk or speak or see or move my hands, I just.. knew you would take care of me. That’s how safe I feel with you.” she says with a broken voice, both eyes closed. Trav moves his mouth closer to her temple, his lips finding her skin. He kisses her on this spot for the longest time, tears streaming out of his eyes and onto the soft fabric of his pillow.
“The Queen of Hearts has declared a coup at Auradon Prep.”
The news made the room pause. Everyone turned and looked up at the attendant, holding a tablet with the information that had just come in. Then, slowly, everyone turned their attention to the man in the blue suit in the center of the room, who was currently invested in a card game spread in between all the inhabitants.
King Ben slipped the final UNO card of his hand into his suit pocket. “A coup?” he repeated.
“Yes, your majesty.”
Ben thought about that for a moment, then said. “Huh. She’s not doing very well.”
“Emotionally, or at the coup?” Evie asked.
“Both?” Jay asked.
“Obviously both,” Ben said. “But what I meant was-“ He stood, then began to pat himself down. Pocket one, pocket two, inside his jacket, up his arms. “Yes, sorry, just checking. I’m still here. Many miles away. So if she’s organizing a coup… she’s doing very badly.”
He sat back down. Evie, Mal, and Jay were chuckling, though Belle and Adam didn’t seem too reassured.
“She’s taken over Auradon Prep,” the attendant said. “About sixty people are barricaded in the courtyard. King Charming managed to break in, but is now trapped in there. Rumors have it that the Queen of Hearts is planning on executing Queen Ella.”
“Sixty people?” Evie asked.
Ben put his fingertips together. “So, we have a hostage situation. Not a coup.”
“She’s calling it a coup.”
“Then she’s an idiot. A coup is when you overthrow the government. She’s got one school. That’s like going to your local grocery store, barricading the doors, and declaring yourself the mayor.” Ben paused a moment to remove his final card from his jacket. “By the way, I was just about to win. Since I have to bow out-“ He threw down a wild card on top of a red seven. “I’m claiming victory now.”
“That’s not how it works!” Mal said from his left side. “I was next.”
“And what could you have played that would have stopped me?” Ben asked. “You don’t have any +2 cards.”
Mal grumbled in aquisence, and threw her last three cards down. Everyone else dropped their hands too. Jay, who had been placed in the unfortunate position of being after Ben in the lineup, looked particularly excited to drop the twenty-seven cards he’d been gifted.
“Has she got any military besides her cards?” Ben asked, taking the tablet from the attendant.
“Well, the cards can summon military personnel-“
“Yes, I’m aware of her abilities with cards. That’s why I asked if she had them.” Ben paused in flipping through the tablet to point at Mal across the room. The expression on his face was almost suspicious. The attendant followed Ben’s gaze only to see Mal mimic the expression and action, so the two were pointing at each other as if stuck in the spiderman meme. Ben’s fake suspicion cracked after a few seconds, and then he turned his point to the ground in a silent “Get over here.”
“I’m not following why you aren’t alarmed by this,” Adam said. “Why is this not a coup?”
“I am alarmed by it,” Ben said, though his tone was more nonchalant than one would expect. “Sixty people are being held hostage. But I’m putting the issue in perspective. Sixty people, out of a country of 300,000, and all contained in one tiny courtyard by a woman whose home is now undefended.”
“That doesn’t look like sixty,” Mal said, peering over his shoulder. “Maybe… forty?”
“Of course, we need to act quickly to return them to their homes and families-“
“And make sure Cinderella doesn’t die.”
“Exactly. But like I said before, a coup is when the government is taken over. And the government-“ Ben spread his arm at an angle, mockingly presenting himself and Mal to the room. “-is right here, and we are fine. So she is not doing very well at executing her coup.” He examined the tablet further. “She could have at least attempted to lay siege to my castle.”
“The castle isn’t the government either.”
“Yes, but it’s better than our high school.”
“Why not send part of the army to occupy Wonderland? Show her what a proper coup is?”
“Well, two wrongs don’t make a right, but it could be better in the long run. I have a feeling that Wonderland citizens will welcome our troops.” Ben switched off the livestream. “Let’s do that. Have Lonnie take command and lead soldiers in. Once that’s done, we’ll see if the Queen of Hearts will be willing to barter for her home territory. And while that’s going on, put some soldiers around Auradon Prep and arm them with ranged weapons. A sniper team in case any of them try to leave Auradon Prep. I want them contained there. The Queen of Hearts uses her cards to attack, but she’s only got fifty-two and has to take the time to throw them. Not to say she’s not fast. Warn the army to not make the same mistake Fairy Godmother did in waiting to use the full phrase.”
“And Cinderella?”
“Where are the rest of Uma’s pirates?” Ben asked. “Send in the VK’s.” He handed her the tablet. “Former villains fight against villains best. And they listen to you more, so-“
“Harry Hook likes you more than me.”
“An exception to the general rule. Can I leave this in your hands?”
Mal laughed in response and nodded. Ben pulled his phone out to contact Lonnie, when a thought struck him. He turned to the attendant. “One more thing,” he said.
“Yes, your majesty?”
Ben walked over to where his parents sat and put his hands over Belle’s ears. “If she does decide to siege my castle, tell her to aim for those awful statues on the roof.”
Belle swatted his arm, but the tension was broken. Ben left laughing to phone Lonnie.
after watching the rise of red I couldn’t stop to wonder how our royal family life would look like right now.
King Ben and Queen Mal are now in diplomacy ship cruise with Eve and Jay. It’s been 3 years since their wedding and the pair recently found out that they’re happily expecting their first baby. They are planning to tell their family and friends at the end of the tour.
She was my favorite character on Modern Family, and I will defend her until I die! I know alot of people type her as ESTP, but in my opinion, her Fe is too high to be her tertiary trait.
Dominant Fe (Extroverted Feeling) / Inferior Ti (Introverted Thinking)
Haley has always been guided by the world around her, and people’s opinions of her. As a teenager, she is more concerned with popularity and “fitting in” than she was with grades or her future. To the point, where she develops image-related issues as an adult, having an eating disorder, etc. As an adult, her Fe is less so directed towards her peers, and more so directed towards her family. She seeks approval from her family, and does everything to not disappoint them, even when she disappoints them. She keeps her pregnancy a secret from her parents for months, because she didn’t want to be judged for it. Because of her desperation to be liked, and for approval, she doesn’t make the brightest decisions, despite proving that she is a smart woman, because she places her emotions and others opinions on her above everything else.
Auxiliary Si (Introverted Sensing) / Tertiary Ne (Extroverted Intuition)
Haley works off of an internalized set of experience to compliment her Fe. Subconsciously, she imitates a lot of Claire’s behavior, because that is what she grew up with. As a parent, despite disagreeing a little bit on parenting styles, Haley knows what she knows, because she watched Claire growing up. Not only this, but a lot of the advice she gives Alex is based on her own past experiences.
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