#citybound

[solo-doloooooo]

[butididntpourthewhiskeys]

CITYBOUND III

TW: sexual references 🚨

With her face in the sun, Taylor closes her eyes, feels the warm sensation hit her skin. A siren goes off, only a few feet away. The usual car honking that always reminds her exactly where she lives, also doesn’t stop. But it won’t end this peaceful moment. The first rays of sunshine in New York City this year. The first time she’s on the rooftop this year. Eleanor’s little voice from afar, playing by herself. In her winter puff jacket and with her sunglasses on her nose, she opens her eyes again now, looking at the blonde toddler sitting on the wooden patio floor only a few feet away from her. She’s playing with her dolls on top of the stairs leading to the covered pool. She seems to be in her own world, doesn’t even notice Taylor sitting on the sofa next to her, with a wool blanket on top of her. The fact that she so desperately soaks in these first sunrays of the year makes it more than obvious that she and Eleanor need to escape to LA for a few days. She can’t take winter no more. Time for spring to come.

“Honey, remember, no playing by the pool top.” Taylor says, using her hand to shield her sunglasses, making sure she can see clearly what the toddler in her green puffer jacket is doing. Eleanor just nods, two big tails on the little curly head. She’s playing with the two mini dolls that her mother got her a few weeks ago and she still seems to be obsessed with these little princesses. Taylor smiles. She sinks her head, fixes the big blanket over her legs and checks her phone. Just as she was about to reply to the dozens of unanswered messages in her inbox, she can hear the door from the end of the rooftop open. Within two seconds, Taylor sees two huge feet tucked into these ugly big Nike slippers. In his sweatpants he closes the door slowly, smiling through the sun right at her. He’s done with work. She’s glad. Two hours were two hours too long. Too long of him working, and her pretending as if she’s glad to have some time by herself. 

“Wow, this is nice.” he says as he slowly makes his way towards her. With an approving smile, Travis takes a look around the luxurious rooftop. Hard to believe that this peaceful outdoor space is right in the heart of Manhattan. 

“Yeah.” she just says, her eyes still focused on the tall man, slowly making his way towards her. He lets himself fall down right next to her on the outdoor couch. She smiles at him through her sunglasses. 

“How was it?” 

“Good.” he smiles at her, his hand already on her thigh again, right above the blanket that’s been keeping her warm out here. “Jason says hi.” 

She smiles, nods. She wonders what his brother thinks about all this. She knows that Travis is very independant from anyone’s opinions. It’s one of the things she admires about him. She knows he won’t get influenced by anyone else’s opinion about what they’re doing, who she is or whether this really is a good idea. But she still wonders what his family thinks. The fact that he’s just spending the week here, at her apartment. With her and her child. A weird thought that brings up some anxiety the more she thinks about it.

“Thanks.” she says, and he can feel that she’s insecure of how to react suddenly. 

“I didn’t.. I didn’t tell him much. He knows I’ve been seeing you, but nothing more.” he says, has clearly just read her mind again. She nods. It’s okay. This answer is something she can live with. 

“I know.” she says quietly, moves her cold hand on top of his. Her eyes looking for Eleanor once more. Travis just looks at the blonde woman next to him, smiles. He moves his thumb a little up and down, gently caressing her small and soft hand that’s on his. 

“How are you feeling?” he asks then, and Taylor looks back at him. She sighs, leans back on the comfortable sofa that the two are sitting on, just facing the sun. He still can’t believe how nice and quiet it is here, in the middle of a rooftop in this big city jungle. 

“Crappy, to be honest. But it’s okay. I’m used to it. Anytime she gets something, I get it two days later. Just… mom life.” she says, almost laughing at the end of her sentence. He nods. “I feel bad though because I told you a million times that you’re getting it next. And..” 

“And I told you a million times that I don’t care.” he interrupts her gently, not raising his voice. Instead, his hand just keeps on caressing hers and it does something to her that she can’t quite explain. She feels safe. She feels seen.

“You’re stubborn, has anyone ever told you that before?” 

He laughs at her statement, throwing his head back like a little kid for a second. She can’t help but smile at him, too. She loves it when he laughs like this. She loves how easy everything is with him. There’s no darkness when they’re together. The black dog that always follows her around just disappears. This familiar blue feeling of anxiety on her chest dissolves slowly. He’s pure sunshine, and she doesn’t know he is aware. 

“Touché.” he just says. She smiles. She’s got no arguments left. 

“Mommy, Travy. Look.” 

The two are suddenly pulled out of their thoughts. With her little pink converse shoes, Eleanor comes running towards the two of them. Travis can’t help but laugh at her bouncy pigtails. With her finger up in the air she stops right in front of him, holding the little ladybug right into his face. 

“Honey, don’t.. don’t push it in Travis’s eye, please. Careful.” Taylor tries to stop her toddler, but it only makes the man next to her laugh. With his big hands, he gently holds on to the little hand, looks at it in awe, just like Eleanor did before. 

“Wow, where did you find this little beauty?” he asks Eleanor. Her eyes are lid up. Taylor loves it. She loves seeing the world through Eleanor’s eyes. She loves that for this little girl, life is still as magical as it can get. 

“It.. it was just flying on my hand. Just like that.” she says, giggles in excitement that this little animal chose her for a visit on this sunny afternoon. 

“Want me to show you a trick?” Travis asks, and Eleanor nods. Taylor watches the interaction and smiles. With his huge fingers, he shows the little girl how to get the ladybug to crawl from her one hand to the other. Eleanor giggles, and Travis smiles at her when she does it herself for the first time. 

“Now, you have to make a wish. Close your eyes.” 

With a smile on the little face, she closes her eyes. Her small hands still gently in Travis’s. Taylor’s heart feels like bursting for a second. 

“You got one?” 

“Mhmhm.” 

“Now blow it away. One, two…” 

Eleanor blows the ladybug away, jumps up and down for a minute out of excitement. Travis laughs at the little girl’s excitement, still holding both her hands in his. 

“Great job, E. High five.” 

Eleanor claps her small hand against Travis’s. The smile on the little face is so evident to Taylor. Eleanor feels the sunshine, too. 

Not just the one coming from the New York skies today. 

She runs away, back to playing with her dolls at the end of the patio. Travis still chuckles, looking after her. His hand wandering to hers again. 

“She’s so adorable.” he laughs, then looks at Taylor. She smiles at him, and he knows exactly what her face is telling him right now. 

“I know, she is. Thanks for.. for being so sweet with her.” 

Travis doesn’t say anything for a moment. He appreciates her words. Truth is, he appreciates every moment of the past 48 hours. Being here, in her home, with Taylor and her daughter. Being able to just be together. Watching her take care of her child. Taking care of her. Lots of hugs to give and witness. Lots of kisses in this house. Lots of laughs. He hasn’t felt this happy and secure in a while and he hopes that this bubble won’t burst anytime soon. He knows it’s outrageous for him to have cancelled a majority of his off season plans for this week, just to spend time here. It’s unlike him to give up work (and play) commitments just to be with a woman. But this time, it’s different. It feels more like a deep need to be here with her now. Not like a choice. He knows, he needs to find the right words soon. But for now, it’s enough to turn off his mind for a bit. Enjoy a few more hours of heaven with Taylor. 

“Thanks for introducing me to her.” he replies, his face moving closer to hers. He gently kisses her cheek, his beard scratching her slightly. She looks back at him, nods then. Her forehead leans gently against his chin, her small hand caresses his beard for a moment. He steals her forehead a tiny kiss. 

“Means a lot, Tay.” he adds. She nods. He knows it still makes her feel incredibly vulnerable to have let him enter her and Eleanor’s life. And he can only fathom why. It must have been a tough fight for her to take back her own life after separating from Eleanor’s dad. And he knows she won’t let anyone hurt her daughter ever again. But he just wishes she’d know that he will never hurt either of the two. 

She doesn’t reply to him, instead lets her head gently fall onto his shoulder. His arm wanders around her and he loves holding her like this. The sun facing them. It’s peaceful here. It’s peaceful between them. He loves to feel this shift since the other night. Since the night she opened up, and allowed him to get close.

Closer than ever before.

___

With the hood of his jacket pulled deep into his face, he enters her building. It’s gotten dark outside now, and the sunny afternoon has turned into an icy, freezing night. Brandon opens the big doors for him, then enters the code to operate the elevator for him, and a few seconds later he steps inside. The doors close, and he can finally pull down the hood covering him. He can breathe again. None of the paparazzi outside have noticed him. 

“Quiet evening, man?” he asks the security guard, who politely smiles back. 

“Yeah, all good. Did some shopping?” 

Travis smiles and nods, the wine he got for himself and Taylor securely wrapped in a brown bag in his hands. 

“Yup. Got her some snacks. Keeping both of’em happy.” he jokes.

Brandon smiles. The interaction ends once the elevator door opens again. Travis steps outside, uses the key she gave him to enter the penthouse. Brandon says his goodbye, wishing him a nice evening and Travis closes her door. In an instant, her smell creeps back into his nose, into his lungs, into his… heart. It’s the same smell as her hair, when he kisses her head gently. The same smell as all her clothes, and the bed he slept in for a few nights now. He feels this indescribable feeling of happiness again, just by smelling her. He knows he’s far beyond the stage of falling for her. Her home feels like home to him, and every day - it just keeps getting worse. 

Travis takes off his jacket, gently throws it over the chair in the living room. He steps into the generous, open kitchen, and carefully places the bags of food and wine on the countertop. He knows Taylor struggled to get Eleanor to sleep tonight. So the last thing he wants to do is wake up the small girl. He takes the bottles of wine from the brown bag, finally finds free space in the wine cabinet on the other side of the kitchen.

“Hi.” he hears a familiar voice coming from the stairs then. He turns to her, closes the wine cabinet. She smiles, the same make up free face as earlier, before he left to go to the grocery store on Greenwich Street that she loves so much. She’s in her comfy clothes from before, her bangs a bit messed up from Eleanor’s pillow. 

“Is she out?” he asks, and Taylor nods, makes her way up to him. He immediately opens his arms, pulls her in for a tight hug. Her face pressed into his shoulder, nothing but her bangs looking out. She breathes him in. 

“Yeah finally.” she sighs, “Why do you smell so good.” 

Travis chuckles, moving his head in her tight hug to kiss her soft cheek again. 

“You smell so much better.” 

She lets go of him, both her hands wandering to his face. She smiles, then comes closer to kiss him gently. 

“I got you some snacks. And wine. And..” 

“Thanks so much. I promise, I will make a batch of cookies later tonight. I haven’t forgotten it. And I really want you to try these. Because, quite frankly, it’s a crime to stay at my house for more than 24 hours without trying my chai..” 

“Hey, I have a better idea.” he says then. She stops for a second, has already started reaching for flour, sugar and the chai tea in her cupboard right in front of her. She can feel his big hands wrap around her from behind, and it makes her smile.

“Yeah, and what is that?” she asks, his beard pressed into her neck, gently kissing her skin. 

“Come here.” he mumbles. One second passes and she feels his strong arms on her hips, lifting her up and placing her on the countertop behind her. She can’t help giggle a bit, loves that she’s towering him now. Her hands securely on his shoulders. He’s so strong and it never leaves her unimpressed. His nose touches hers for a second, and the smile on his face warms her heart in an instant. 

“Mister, if this is what I think it is, can I remind you…” 

“It’s not.” he assures her, kisses her again, can’t help but let out a laugh. She closes her eyes, both her arms wrapped around his neck. She feels herself letting go, a low sigh escaping her mouth. He pulls back after a few seconds, fixing a strand of hair behind her ear. 

“I wanna spoil you tonight.” he says then, and she smiles, biting her lower lip for a second. He’s so handsome in this moment, and his eyes could move a damn mountain. She can’t unsee these pictures of him as a little boy. He truly, still, is the goofy kid he told her he once was. And god, does she have love for this kid. Does she have love for this man in front of her, his huge hands being so gentle and kind.

“You spoil me every night.” she whispers against his lips, making him laugh a bit. 

“I don’t mean that kind of spoiling you.” he says, and she stops for a second. 

“Wait, you’re not talking about… sexy time?” 

“Sexy time?” he asks her with a laugh, can’t believe this is the way she describes their mindblowing, life-changing sex.

“I mean.. yeah it can be. But, I want to give you a massage. A proper one.” 

She can’t believe his words, almost feels insecure for a moment. It’s been a long time since someone she shared a bed with has made this kind of effort for her. She still remembers, early on with Joe, he would do small little things for her. But it was never like this. It was always accidental. Always unplanned, but sweet. But this, right here, with Travis, is different. She can’t believe he’s thought about this. Can’t believe he wants to spend the evening giving her a massage, has actively thought about what she would need right now. It’s a new level of attentiveness she’s foreign to when it comes to relationships. 

“Would you.. would you like that?” he asks then, has noticed her getting lost in her own thoughts. Within a second, she’s pulled back to reality and nods. Her mouth forming a smile.

“I would love that. I would absolutely love that. Thanks so much.” she murmurs, comes closer to him again and kisses him gently. He can tell she’s touched by this gesture, but that’s exactly what he wanted to achieve tonight. He wants to make her feel appreciated, respected, loved. He knows that after the past years with her ex, it’s still hard for her to let herself fall, enjoy the moment, let someone else take full control. But she deserves to be spoiled. She deserves to be treated this way. Always.

“Want to eat first? Or..” 

She shakes her head, and it makes him laugh. She just presses her face next to his, hugging him like a koala bear. He smiles, can feel her craving his proximity. Within a second, he has lifted her up from the countertop, slowly walking up the stairs with her hugging him this closely. He can hear her giggle into his sweater, carefully closes the door to her bedroom behind them. 

“Shall I leave the door open in case the little one wakes up?” he asks, carefully lets her down. She looks up at him smiling, then shakes her head. 

“No, all good. I still have the baby monitor app on my phone. If there’s movement in her room, my phone goes off.” 

He nods, his hand already on her cheek, stealing her forehead a last kiss before letting go again. She quickly turns on the little light next to her bed, then dims the room by turning off the main light. The mood has shifted, and it’s this romantic, low light she loves so much whenever she gets to be alone with him. This is her safe space. Him in her bedroom. The door closed. The world just staying outside. 

“I’ll quickly go pee, okay? Do you.. do you need anything?” 

“Bodylotion and a towel.” he says, and she smiles, not moving for a second. 

“What?” 

Standing in the door to the bathroom, looking at him, she just starts giggling. Her hand in front of her mouth now, the way she always does, whenever she gets shy for a second. 

“Nothing. I.. I just can’t believe you’re so serious about giving me a massage.” 

“Of course I am.” he says, has already taken off his sweatshirt and throws it over the little chair at the end of her bedroom. 

“Do you have a lighter?” 

“Yeah, top drawer by my bedside.” she says, can’t believe he’s putting so much effort into this. She just watches him reach for the lighter, then begins putting on the big Loewe candle at the end of her room. She can’t believe he’s got this romantic side to him. A side of him she doesn’t really know that well yet. He suddenly looks at her, a bit confused, not sure what she’s waiting for.

“Go pee, now. Come on.” 

“Okay, okay.” she mumbles, laughing to herself and closing the bathroom door gently. A few minutes later, the door opens again and she’s slowly stepping up to him. He has sat down on the side of her bed now, wearing nothing but his sweatpants and some socks. She stops right in front of him, looks around the room. She can’t believe he’s put on the candles. 

“Bodylotion?” 

“Oh, I forgot.” she mumbles, makes her way back into the bathroom again. When she comes back, she passes him her favorite shea body butter and a large white towel. A little out of place, she just stands there, watches him place the towel on top of her bedding. 

“Shall I..” 

“Come here, I’ll do that.” he smiles at her, and she trusts him. In her sweatpants and shirt, she crawls onto the bed, lands on her back and giggles as he reaches for the hem of her shirt, slowly pulling it over her head. She’s not wearing a bra yet he won’t break eye contact to her. A few seconds pass, and her pants have gone, too. She lays there for a moment, in the dim light, feeling a bit more vulnerable than usually. 

“You warm enough?” he asks her, notices immediately that she’s not a hundred percent comfortable. But she nods, just watches him closely. He puts a generous amount of body lotion into his hands, starts warming his hands together. 

“Shall I.. shall I take these off?” she asks him with a smirk in her face, and it makes him laugh.

“Yes.” 

“Oh, so it’s that kind of a massage?” 

“Babe..” 

“I’m teasing.” she giggles, gets rid of her thong and turns around. Laying flat on her stomach now, she feels his hands land on her back and it makes her shiver for a second. With her head turned to the side she closes her eyes, feels him fix her hair to the side, to ensure it’s out of the way. 

“Do you have a spot that pains you sometimes?” he asks her, almost a whisper. This is their world. Nobody is here to listen in, and she feels herself let go. Feels herself open up. 

“Yeah my.. my upper back and neck. I have horrible posture, so..” 

Within a second, Travis starts massaging the spot that always hurts her, and she melts into the pillow. She feels goosebumps form all over her body, and she can’t believe he’s so good at doing this. For a moment, she can’t really speak, can’t really think anymore. His warm, soft hands kned over her skin and she feels a deep relaxation take over her. 

“Oh my god..” she whispers then, and he smiles, giving his best to help her muscles relax properly. 

“Is that okay?” he asks her quietly, his hands moving up and down her back, again and again. 

“So good. This is.. so good.” he smiles, continues his work. He takes some more of the body lotion, moves with his hand movements down again to her lower back. He can feel her relax more and more underneath him. With her eyes closed, the talkative woman is suddenly dead quiet. 

“Baby?” 

He hears her whisper, almost feels like his entire body tingles for a second. She’s never called him that. She’s never called him anything other than the occasional ‘babe’ or ‘Trav’. For a second, he loosens his movements, looks up at her. She hasn’t moved, her eyes are still closed. He’s worried he might have hurt her. A hint of fear coming through. 

“You okay?” 

“I might fall asleep, is that.. are you mad, if I..” 

He laughs gently, keeps on working on her back. 

“You can fall asleep if you want to. This is for you to relax, stop worrying about falling asleep.” he says in the calmest way possible. Taylor doesn’t move. She feels herself drift off, can’t believe the amount of work and effort he puts into every single inch of her body. She can still feel him work on her lower back, now slightly moving to her hips. She can feel his talented hands move down every single muscle on her side. Not only are his movements the perfect amount of pressure and ease, but he also seems to have an extensive knowledge about the general muscle allocation. She’s never been massaged by someone she’s intimate with, didn’t know how good it can feel to let go off the tensions she carries in her upper thighs, and even her bottom. She doesn’t move, doesn’t know if she’s asleep yet or if she’s reached a new level of letting go. She can feel him work his way down her legs, massaging out all the tension from tour rehearsals in her calves. It’s the first time that his touch hurts a little, but it gets less and less with every round of kneading from his fingers. With every touch, the tension leaves her body. She lets out a soft sigh when he starts massaging her feet. She knew he’s good at foot massages, but she didn’t know his massaging skills extend to her other muscles, too. 

“You still awake?” 

“Mhmhm.” she mumbles. 

“Can you turn around for me?” 

She immediately moves in her bed, looks at the man smiling at her. He can’t help but laugh a little bit. She must have been so comfortable that she didn’t notice the pillow leaving a proper imprint on the right half of her face. She’s too cute. Before reaching for the body lotion again, he can’t help but get closer, steals her warm cheek a soft kiss. 

“I’m shocked about how talented you are, mister.” she mumbles then, relaxation in her voice. He smiles, reaches for her left hand, massages her arms up and down. She’s laying fully exposed in front of him. No blanket covering her. And she’s never felt so safe. Never before. 

“This is the best massage I’ve ever gotten.” she adds. Her eyes slowly closing. With his left hand he holds her arm upright, kneading all the tensions in her upper arm. 

“I’m glad.” he says, fully focused on his work. “I’ve gotten so many massages before that I really picked up where some of the muscles are located, and what type of movements help release tensions.” he explains, slowly lets go off her arm, and Taylor opens her eyes again. She feels his hands full of lotion gently massage her tummy now. Suddenly, her hand reaches for his arm. He looks at her. 

“Trav?” 

“Mhm?” 

“Kiss me.”

He smiles, comes closer to her and steals her lips a gentle kiss. He lets go after a few seconds, keeps on massaging her soft belly. She feels everything in her body tingling for a second, and she knows why. She knew this massage would eventually get to this point, but she didn’t think it would relax her this much. She then feels his hand move up her torso and within a second, her eyes are open. Wide open. He stops then, lowers his head and starts laughing. Within a second, the mood has changed. Drastically.

“I promise this.. this was not a boob grab, I just wanted to massage your cleavage. You do have muscles there. Believe me or not. And..” 

She giggles, too, holding onto his strong arm, clearly messing with him. 

“Please go ahead, I’m not stopping you.” she says with a giggle, her eyes not leaving his. With his soft hands he wanders up, starts massaging the muscles on the side of her neck. He’s so close to her face now, so close, and his hands keep on making the same moves. She looks deep into his eyes, feels him hit her deep muscle tissue then. She swallows. It hurts. It hurts to feel all the tension leave her body. She closes her eyes. 

“You’re so tense here.” he whispers. She nods. He keeps massaging her. “Feels like.. feels like you carried a lot of weight on your chest.” 

She has no idea why, but within a second, a tear streams down her face. Travis stops immediately, but her hand reaches for his. 

“Please keep.. keep going.” she sniffles. She doesn’t know why she gets so emotional all of the sudden. But whatever he was doing with her body right here, works. She feels all these stuck feelings leaving her body. So many emotions come back up. She’s so tired suddenly. She feels this pain so clearly. But she needs him to keep going. She needs him to knead it out until the very end. 

“Is it.. is it getting less?” he asks her, has noticed what she experienced just now. He’s learned from his physiotherapist that especially in the chest area, people tend to hold their tensions. Their grudges. Their undigested feelings. The last thing he wants to do is hurt the woman in front of him. But with every kneading movement of his fingers, he can feel her soften up. She has her eyes closed, nods. He won’t stop. After a few minutes, his movement gets slower. She opens her eyes again, looks into his. Within a second, her hands land in his neck and she pulls him down to her, kisses him gently. Her tears have dried up, and instead, she feels him be as gentle as she can be. And he loves tasting her. He loves how soft she is. Everything about her. A doze of dopamine hitting his system. She lets go off him then, her hands in his neck so that their noses still touch. 

“Thank you.” she whispers against his lips. He nods. She doesn’t need to say anything else. Slowly, she reaches for his left hand, not letting her eyes leave his. Within a few seconds, he realizes where her hand has moved. With the most gentle motion, she has placed his hand on the most intimate part of her body. He understands immediately, lowers his face to kiss her neck gently. He’s trying so hard. He’s trying so hard not to let these three words just come bursting out of his mouth in this moment. Her skin is so soft under his lips, her little hands on his scalp, caressing him gently. He can feel her longing for him in between her legs. His fingers gently exploring her body, being as careful as they could be. Within a few seconds, he leaves her neck, looks back into her eyes again. Her lips are a bit swollen from their previous kisses, and there’s a kind of calmness in her eyes he hasn’t seen before. 

“You sure?” he asks her again, and she appreciates it so much. Not a single time they’ve slept with each other without Travis asking for her consent beforehand. She appreciates this, appreciates just how much he respects her. She nods, adjusting her head on the pillow. She looks down, so that she can witness his fingers moving gently. She feels her chest rising, enjoys every single one of his hand movements so much. She swallows, her breath a bit shaky now. She can feel him kiss her cheek while his hand keeps up the steady movement. She feels so safe in this moment. She knows she can let go. She knows with him, she’s always safe to let go. 

“Fuck..” she mumbles then, a little sigh escaping her mouth then, breaking the silence between them. She’s holding onto his neck with her hand, desperately looking at him.

“Can you..” 

Travis immediately looks at her. She is fully focused on his hands, her left hand on his lower arm now, feeling his muscles move while he pleasures her. With the other hand, she’s holding onto the towel underneath her. She struggles to speak right now, but he patiently waits for her to finish her thought. He feels so close to her in this moment. They’ve just reached a new level of intimacy. He can feel it in his bones. 

“What..” 

“Can you go.. just a bit faster?” 

He doesn’t reply to her, just does what she asked him. His circle motions are steady but at a higher speed than before. And she appreciates it. So much. She lets her head fall back into the pillow, the little frown appearing on her face that he knows so well. A frown he only knows when he’s in between her legs. And he loves it so much. With his free hand he begins to caress her naked stomach a bit, her hand reaching for his. She’s close. And he’s ready to be there for her, for every second of it. A last little moan escapes her mouth and it gives him goosebumps. Suddenly, her breathing gets faster and faster and he can hear her whisper his name a few times, with the same high pitched desperate moan that he knows and loves so much. He can feel her ride off her wave of pleasure, tightly holding into his arm, guiding him in his movements. He looks into her face as it happens, and he swears he’s never seen anything more beautiful in his life. For a few seconds, she breathes fast with her mouth open, her body just coming down from this mountain she climbed with him. He knows she’s sensitive now, and he’s as gentle with her as humanly possible. His hand still between her legs, he doesn’t move, gives her the time and space to come back down to planet earth. She opens her eyes again after a few seconds, her cheeks flushed. She just pulls him down to her, kissing him full of giggles and lust. He can feel her hand reach for his boxers. He laughs into the kiss. He knows what she wants, and he would be lying if he said he doesn’t want exactly the same. 

“Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.” she mumbles in between the shower of kisses she gives him, her hand now fully landing on his naked butt. She smiles into their kiss. The stubble of his beard scratching her face in the best way. 

“You’re so welcome.” he whispers back, smiling at her. She loves to feel his naked weight on top of her now. Two noses touching. He looks down for a second, gently guiding himself into her. He watches her face closely, trying to find any trace of discomfort. But there is none. She closes her eyes in pleasure again, and so does he. Paradise. He opens his eyes again, feeling her arms holding onto his. Her frown is back. Paradise. He can feel her move with him, her mouth opened, sweet moans escaping her again. He knows she’s holding back, not forgetting that they’re not alone in this house. But he’s still in paradise. 

“Baby..” she cries out then, half a whisper, half a beg, half a moan. He looks at her, his big hand already cupping her face. He kisses her forehead right over her bangs. She’s warm. She’s slowly but surely starting to sweat a little, just like him. 

“Can I.. I want to be on top, please. Please.” she mumbles. He immediately stops, lets himself fall next to her in bed. He feels her get up, position herself on top of him. She’s still flushed, yet her eyes barely leave his. He looks up at her, can’t help but feel like he’s dreaming. Her long hair over her naked shoulders. Her hands reaching for his chest to hold herself upright. She’s the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen. She begins her movements again, and he helps her. His hands on her hips, his eyes on her face. She’s so beautiful. He can’t help but look at her. Can’t help but stare at her letting go on top of him. 

After a few minutes, he feels his vision get blurry. She lets out another moan, a little louder than before. He feels himself come undone, then loves to feel her collapse on his chest. She’s breathing heavy, both of his hands on her bare back, feeling her lungs do the most in this moment. She comes down only slowly. Her skin hot and soft. She doesn’t move, just relaxes slowly. And he loves every minute of it. He loves feeling her get heavier and heavier on him. His hands stroking her back up and down, making her feel just as loved as before they had sex. A few seconds later, she looks back up at him, a smile on her face. He smiles back at her, both his hands cupping her face now, kissing her gently. This time, there’s no lust in his kisses no more. There’s just love. A lot of love. 

She quickly moves on his torso and lets herself fall next to him. She stares at the ceiling for a second, then turns her head back to him. He’s moved to his side, just so he can see her better. His hand on her stomach again. He loves being so close to her. There’s nothing better than being so close to her. His fingers drawing circles on her skin. 

“That escalated quickly.” she mumbles. He laughs, stealing her temple a soft kiss. 

“Thanks for your.. for your incredible massage. Also for.. the other part after.” she says, grinning at him as goofy as a teenager who just had sex for the first time. It makes him laugh. 

“I don’t think my body has ever felt so relaxed, Trav.” she whispers. His lips still on her temple. He smiles, as she looks back at him. There’s a sparkle in her eyes, he hasn’t noticed before. It must be the afterglow that people always speak about. 

“You’re very welcome. Glad you liked it.” 

“I didn’t just like it. Trav, that was.. electric. Literally electric.” 

He smiles at her using his own words. She lets their noses touch once, has now moved to the side to be face to face, and eye to eye with him. 

“Thank you so much.” she says again. He doesn’t really react, just places his hand on her cheek. There’s so much love in his eyes in this moment. He doesn’t need to say anything. His eyes just say it all. 

“You cold?” 

“A little.” 

He starts moving, for the first time since minutes and helps her crawl underneath the big blanket just under them. She adjusts a little, then cuddles herself fully under the covers. Her hands looking for him. She moves again, until she’s finally fully embraced in his arms. He kisses her head, makes sure she’s covered by the blanket. Silence takes over, and he allows himself to close his eyes for a minute. 

“Trav?” 

“Mhm?

“Can we try this?” 

“Try what?” 

“Us.” 

For a second, he can’t dare believe his ears. His eyes open, but he doesn’t move. He doesn’t know if she just meant what she said, but she said it. Taylor moves again, turns around to be able to face him. She’s worried suddenly that she’s said too much. She’s worried that his silence is something other than utter surprise. He looks at her in shock. Within a second, she feels a tummy ache flaring up inside of her. 

“Do you.. can you please say something?” she mumbles and he takes a breath, slowly sits up. She’s worried now. She’s never witnessed him this freaked out. She knew it was too soon. But she can take it back. Thank god she didn’t fully speak it out yet. She can fix this. She looks at him leaning against her bed rest. She carefully sits up as well, holding the blanket close to her naked body. 

“I’m so sorry for.. just.. not finding the right words, Tay.” he says finally, and she nods “No worries, I mean I know I..” 

“My answer is yes. But I need you to know what I’m in for.” he interrupts her and she’s shocked for a moment. She looks at him, feels her hands shaking suddenly. She doesn’t feel relaxed anymore, at all. What bomb did she just set off? She can feel him get nervous as well. It’s been a while since he was acting like this around her. 

“I.. I don’t want us to just be another fling. I..” he stops, gathering his words, “I know this is not the most romantic way to do this, but if we try this, if we.. if we try being something serious. Like.. as serious as a relationship. Then.. then I want you to know that I’m in it for the long run.” he looks into her eyes, fully aware that this could scare her off for good. But he needs to honor himself. He needs to be straight with her, or else this won’t have a chance of working out. 

“I’m not in this, if.. if you want a little distraction. Or a little fun. I want a partnership. I want to have a family eventually. And of course, we.. we have a long way to go. To see if we fit. To see if this can work. But I just want you to know that if we try this, then.. then this is my intention.” 

Travis takes a deep breath after finishing his little speech. He can’t dare look at her again, but he’s proud of himself for having said it. Suddenly, he feels her hands reach for his. He looks back into her eyes, and she smiles. A little tear in her eyes. He can see that clearly. 

“Okay.” she whispers. He swallows, not sure how to react. All he feels is her small hand caressing his. 

“Okay?” 

She nods, a smile on her lips. 

“I want the same thing. With you. But.. I’m just.. I just hope you know what you are in for. With all this attention. I will be on tour soon, Trav. If you think this is bad, the security and the.. the staying hidden, then you have no idea what you’re in for in the next months. My life is crazy. My life is.. fully out of control. But it’s my life. And I have lost years of my life hiding for someone else who couldn’t handle the pressure. And.. and I can’t do that no more. I’m all in, but I just hope you know what that means for you.” 

He looks at her, a big smile on his face. All the worries from before are gone. He nods. 

“Tay?” 

She looks at him, worry in her face. She knows his smile can’t really mean that he changed his mind after her little speech. But she is in fact worried that he will regret this. That he will ask her for more time to think about this. About what it means to be in a relationship with her. 

“I need to tell you something.” 

“What?” she says, her hand still holding his. She looks at the man in her bed. His naked torso leaned against her bed rest, his smile all over his face as he looks at her. She feels calm just looking at him smile like this, but there’s still a part of her that is full of anxiety right now. 

“I.. I think I’m really really really in love with you. Like… so much, it’s not even funny.” 

She doesn’t say anything, just stares at him for a moment. 

“Is that okay? I feel like.. maybe this is a good time to tell you. I will let you know if I can’t handle your life, I promise. But I need you to know that I’m ridiculously in love with you. And.. and it would make me the happiest person on this planet to call you my girlfriend.” 

Travis finishes his sentence. She doesn’t say anything, just sits up a bit, both of her hands touching his cheeks. She presses her forehead against his, then leans in and kisses him. It’s a different type of kiss. She’s emotional. His hands land on her bare back again. 

“I love you, too.” she whispers then, closes her eyes and lets him kiss her bangs gently.

“So much.”

___

“You sure this is a good idea?” 

He asks again, sitting on the bed and looking at her. He’s wearing a pair of his Nike sweatpants and a black t-shirt. He watches her finish her make up in the mirror by her bedroom. She looks incredible, just like every day. A pair of blue boyfriend jeans covering her small frame, a grey longsleeve shirt on top and her black adidas shoes covering her feet. He loves to watch her get ready in the morning. He doesn’t know why, but it’s just another way of spending time with her. Witnessing her every move, every mundane thing she does in the morning, getting to know her even better. 

“Of course it is.” she says again, for the fifth time today, turning around to look at him with a smirk. He laughs too, now, knowing he acts absolutely ridiculous. After all, it’s her dad. She loves her dad. And he’s always been popular with his ex- girlfriend’s fathers. No need to act like a little boy now, Travis. 

“Listen, my parents are.. very much open to the idea of me dating again. I know they want me to be happy. And.. trust me, it’ll be fine.” 

He nods, watches her walk towards him. She stops standing right in front of him. He presses his face into her shirt, right above her stomach, giving her a few nervous kisses. 

“Also, I can’t stand the thought of you flying out today. So we definitely need to have a nice lunch altogether before you leave.” she mumbles into his head, kissing his head once. 

He looks back up at her and smiles. He can’t believe he’s flying out to Kansas City again. He can’t believe he’s spent five extra days in this city. Unplanned. The most incredible, beautiful, five days with this woman. Not a single chance, he could ever forget these days in his lifetime. 

“I’ll miss you, sweetie.” he mumbles. She nods, and he can see in her face that it worries her. She doesn’t want to leave their bubble. And neither does he. 

“I’ll miss you, too.” she says, “But it’s just one week.” 

He nods. They can do one week. They’ll be fine. 

“Travy, look. I did this for you!” 

Taylor quickly lets go off Travis, hears her daughter run into her mother’s bedroom. A pencil and a piece of paper in her small hands. Taylor and Travis decided to let some time pass before explaining to Eleanor where they both stand, with each other, in their relationship. She won’t ever fully introduce someone into her life, unless it’s as serious as it could get. And they’ve got time. They’ve got all the time in the world for this big move. 

“What? For me?” Travis looks at the little painting she made him. He’s in true disbelief. Eleanor smiles proudly at her mommy, gets all shy and nods then. 

“This is Olivia and Benjamin and Chauncy and Rambo.” 

Taylor can’t help but laugh a little, looks from Travis back to Eleanor. Her hands land on the little curlyhead. All it took was for Travis to show Eleanor a few pictures and videos of his dogs, and the little girl fell in love. Taylor knows how much she adores animals. Of course, she would fall in love with his doggs in a minute - even without having met them yet. 

“Oh my goodness. Eleanor. This is.. this is beautiful.” he says, completely serious, looking into the little girl’s proud face. 

“Wow, you’re so talented.” he says,pokes her tummy once and she giggles. 

“Can I get a hug?” he asks, and Eleanor falls into the big man’s arms. For a moment, Taylor stands there and feels herself get emotional. She knows this little girl hasn’t had a steady male figure in her life, besides her grandfather and her uncle, for almost a year now. Ever since her separation from Joe, Eleanor has seen her father twice. Phone calls that were promised got less and less. And Taylor could feel Joe not just forget about her, but also his daughter. He’s left her. She can barely let these thoughts enter her mind, but sometimes, they just come creeping back up. She knows that Eleanor knows exactly that her father hasn’t called in months. And Taylor knows that maybe, just maybe, this is why she’s so crazy about Travis. And how can she not be? He’s tall, he’s funny, he makes her laugh and he’s so kind and gentle to her. 

“Thanks so much, girly. I’m honored. This is beautiful. I will hang this one up in my house.” Travis says to Eleanor. Taylor notices Eleanor’s hand landing on Travis’s.

“And I promise you, soon you will meet Rambo and Chauncey. I promise. And I’ll send mommy some videos tonight.” he says, making Eleanor jump up and down a few times. Taylor loves seeing her so excited. She loves this relationship that’s slowly forming between Travis and her. But then again, the more she feels these two connecting, the more she feels herself growing anxious. A deep wave of anxiety, worry, almost panic arising in her chest.

If this won’t work out, then Travis will break two hearts. 

Not just one.

___

“Grandpa!” 

Travis hears Eleanor screaming while running towards the elevator door of the townhouse. He just stands there in the kitchen, taking a deep breath, which he hopes will remain unnoticed. Taylor already laughed at him taking off his earrings before. But he wants to be as presentable as possible for her dad. After all, he’s the man who entered his daughter’s and granddaughter’s life. He wants him to have a good first impression. Whatever that means. Travis slowly makes his way to the door, watches Eleanor jump onto Scott’s arm. The older man laughs a few times, already listening to Eleanor tell him all about her new school. Taylor just looks back to Travis, rolling her eyes at her daughter. He laughs. Eleanor is a very talkative little girl. He absolutely adores it about her. 

“Hi, honey.” Scott says then, hugging his daughter. Travis immediately feels the man’s eyes on him. He smiles at him, not sure how to act. He takes a step closer to him, opening his arms. Immediately, he realizes that Scott gives him a hand shake instead. Slightly embarrassed, he shakes his hand, tries to hide the fact that he expected the welcome to be a bit warmer, instead. 

“Hi, Mr. Swift. It’s so good to meet you. Taylor told me so much about you.”

Scott smiles, barely, and nods. 

“Nice to meet you.” 

Taylor watches the interaction, and gets a little confused. Her father is usually the warmest person she knows, has never not opened his arms for any of Taylor’s friends, or even her crappy ex-boyfriends. She’s not used to her dad being this cold, especially towards someone as open and as warm as Travis. Her parents have always taught her to keep warm people close. And Travis is one of these people. 

Taylor doesn’t say anything, just places her arm on Travis’s shoulder. It’s a small gesture but he knows its her way of assuring him.

“So glad you get to meet Travis, dad.” she mumbles, but Scott doesn’t really react, is suddenly extremely busy hanging up his jacket next to the door.

“Alright, shall we have lunch?” she says then, hoping the mood in the room gets lighter soon. She feels incredibly insecure suddenly. But she hopes Travis won’t feel any of this. He doesn’t deserve to not feel welcomed. After all, he’s been the most incredible person in her life for these past months.

“Sounds good.” Scott says, placing his bag in the dining room. 

“Grandpa, can we watch a movie together?” Eleanor asks her grandfather, already holding his hand again. Scott smiles at her, his hand protectively on her little head. 

“Sweetheart, your mommy and I have a few work meetings after lunch. But tonight, we can watch a movie together. How about that?” 

Eleanor nods, seems to not be very happy about his answer. 

“Should I.. do you need any help in the kitchen?” Travis asks Taylor. She looks at him, and immediately feels his tension. She hates it. 

“Actually, why don’t you and dad just sit down, and Eleanor and me we can get lunch ready huh?” 

Her hand lands on Travis’s back. He gives her that one look that always makes her laugh. But she knows this is good. As soon as her dad and him talk for a bit, the tensions in this penthouse will disappear and her dad will absolutely love him. Just like everyone else in her life so far.

“So, Scott. I heard you were also big on football during high school?” Travis asks, sitting down right in front of him at the dining table. Scott looks at him, no smile in sight. He nods. 

“Yup, I was a running back for five years.” 

“Oh wow.” Travis laughs, obviously relieved that the two have found a topic to discuss. “That’s awesome. Did you ever think about doing it professionally?” 

“I was a Finance major. So football was obviously just a hobby. Nothing more.” 

“Yeah, I get it. For me, was quite the opposite. Sports was always the only thing I was good at, so..” 

Scott doesn’t react. Silence. Travis looks up at him, has run out of things to say. Her dad clearly isn’t interested in a conversation with him. Instead, the seventy year-old man picks up Eleanor, helping her crawl onto the chair next to him. She shows him her little photo book that her mother has crafted with her, and filled with polaroids of herself and her three cats. Travis watches Scott smile at Eleanor. The shift in his mood couldn’t be more obvious. He’s completely in awe with his granddaughter, as he should be. And he couldn’t be less interested in getting to know him. Travis swallows, feels Taylor’s hand on his back. He can see in her face that she feels the same as him, pretends to put on a smile for him. But he can see right through her. There’s no denying that the mood is off. 

“What do you guys want to drink? Water? Sparkling water? Soda?” 

“I’ll just get a water. Thanks, honey.” Scott says. 

“Coke for you, babe?” she asks Travis. Her hand gently caressing his cheek over his beard. 

“I’ll just.. get a water. Thanks, babe.” 

She doesn’t say anything, and Travis wasn’t the only one feeling her father’s eyes on him. Taylor walks back into the kitchen, feels herself slowly get angry. She doesn’t know what has gotten into her dad. But she really hopes he gets it together, soon. 

“Do you usually just drink sodas for lunch, Travis?” 

Taylor places the waterbottle on the countertop with a bang. She’s getting mad, now. One more word and she’s going to loose her patience. Travis has been nothing but kind and polite. Yet her father treats him like a criminal. 

“Well, I train a lot. So I need to get my calories in somehow. I try to stick to diet drinks, but.. well sometimes an ice cold coke is just.. refreshing.” he laughs, a little insecure as he doesn’t get a nod back.

“Sodas are the number one reason for type one diabetes in our country. And that goes especially for children, Travis. I always tell Taylor it’s probably safer to have pesticides in the house than to give Eleanor any of these sugar drinks.” 

Travis doesn’t say anything, just nods. He asks himself if he was irresponsible these past days. After all, he did drink coke in front of Eleanor and even let her try once when Taylor allowed him to. He gets quiet, understands that there’s no arguing with her dad in this. After all, he’s right. 

“Too bad, because all this little girl drinks is coke and fanta and sprite. Oh, and sometimes before bed I add some sugar to her coke. Just makes her more sleepy, I find. The good old sugar crash just does the job.” Taylor says, a hint of anger in her voice. She places the food and water she just brought on top of the hardwood table. Scott just shakes his head, his hand still protectively on Eleanor’s little head. 

“Not funny, Taylor.” 

“Dad, come on. As if you never drink coke for lunch.” 

“Well, I certainly don’t after having cancer.” 

“Here goes the good vibes.” Taylor says, angry, looking at Travis. He doesn’t say anything, and she feels horrible for him. Under the table, she reaches for his hand, squeezes it a few times. 

“Eat up, guys.” she says then, encouraging the two men to start eating. Eleanor reaches for her glass of water, and starts chugging it down. It gets quiet. Horribly quiet. Travis doesn’t speak, and neither does Scott. 

“Grandpa.” Eleanor says, and Taylor has to smirk. Of course her bubbly five-year old would kill these weird vibes today. 

“Yes, honey.” Scott says. 

“Look at my bracelets.” she says, proudly, showing her grandfather her arm full of friendship bracelets. 

“Oh, beauiful. Did you make that all by yourself?” 

“Yes, with my friend Emily.” 

“That’s awesome.” 

“And this one I made with Travy yesterday.” she says proudly, smiling at Travis. He smiles back at her, his head tilting slightly to the side. He always does that whenever Eleanor looks at him with her little eyes. Taylor witnesses the interaction with a smile. 

“Travy?” 

“Yeah, she… well, my nieces always call me Travy so I told Eleanor she can call me..”

“Taylor. Can I speak with you outside for a second.” 

Taylor swallows. For a moment, the entire demeanor around this table has shifted, once again. Travis knows exactly what this is about. He feels guilty all of the sudden. Guilty for having entered Taylor’s life. Guilty for getting closer to Eleanor. He can feel Taylor get more tense. The two adults get up, leave the room to take the stairs up to the rooftop patio. He swallows. He’s definitely lost his appetite now. He just sits there, leans back. A door is closing. Loudly. And then all he hears is yelling. Scott yelling, then Taylor. Then Scott. Then Taylor interrupting him yelling some more. He’s so glad he can’t hear just every word he says. But he knows what this is about. And hearing Taylor yell like this is not something he’s ever witnessed before. 

“Travy..” Eleanor mumbles then, looks at Travis confused. 

“Is mommy fighting with grandpa?” she asks him, has also put down her fork. He can see in her little blue eyes that she’s worried. And Travis feels even worse. He swallows, takes a deep breath, then sighs. 

“Yeah, I think so.” 

Eleanor nods.

“I don’t like it when mommy is mad. Because.. because sometimes, she gets sad, too.” 

“Yeah, I also hated when my mommy was sad.” 

Eleanor nods. 

“Maybe grandpa didn’t like my bracelets.” she says then. Travis can’t help but smile suddenly. He can’t believe this beautiful little girl thinks anything she ever did is the reason her mom and grandpa are fighting. 

“Hey, give me your hand, girly.” he says then, gently. Eleanor looks at him, and Travis reaches for her small hand on top of the table. 

“Listen to me.” he mumbles, “your grandpa absolutely loves your bracelets. Trust me.” 

Eleanor nods slowly. He caresses her tiny hand for a second, so long, until Eleanor seems to be lighting up again. 

“Travy.” 

“Yeah?”

“Promise to send mommy the video of Chauncey and Rambo, okay?” 

He smiles gently, then nods. 

“I promise.” 

[theendofsolitude]

[eleanakatanu]

armadale

[butididntpourthewhiskeys]

CITYBOUND II

Ten fingers are digging deep into the tiles, so firmly that her wet fingertips are slowly turning white from the pressure. She can’t dare look up, her mind clearly lost in this moment. She’s physically here, but her mind has left this rainfall shower minutes ago. All she feels, is this ever growing sensation in her lower region, his huge finger prints on her curves, and the sound of his exhausted groans in her ear. Hot water is running down her back, her neck, wet strands of her own hair in her eyes. She lets her head fall back then, feels his hand moving up, grabbing her left breast in the most primal way he knows. And it does something to her. It pushes her a step further towards that tip of the mountain she’s climbing. 

“Fuck, baby…” is all she can hear now, besides the noise of hot water falling onto the marble floor of his shower. And then, suddenly, it happens. She feels herself letting go, moans loudly once and starts to see stars. But then, there’s another moan audible to her. A few cursed words and his hands squeezing her body as tight as humanly possible. She tries to breathe steadily again but it’s tougher than she expected. Her body is in a completly different state than usually when she showers. She feels her knees starting to shake. For a second, she even worries that she might pass out. But then, she can feel him pull away, help her turn around. His smile erasing all these anxious thoughts from a second ago. He smiles his widest smile, the water from the shower still running down his face, his nose, his mouth and his shoulders. His smile does something to her. With shaking hands, Taylor frees her forehead from her wet bangs and he appreciates it. He appreciates that he’s able to get closer to her now, holding her naked body securely in his arms, kissing her bare forehead. He lets go after a second, still smiling and kisses her lips gently. His kisses are so different than they were a few minutes ago. All the lust has died down, and instead he’s as gentle as he can be. She sighs exhaustedly into the wet kiss, her hands now wandering onto his neck. He’s so tall, yet so gentle. His hands firmly around her back, slowly making their way down her ass.

“I think we’re clean now.” he mumbles against her lips then, still grinning at her, right before stopping the water from running. She nods, appreciates him reaching for the towel just when she was about to get cold from the absence of the hot water she grew so accustomed to these past minutes. And she enjoys her princess treatment fully. Him wrapping the soft grey towel around her body, rubbing his hands over the fabric to warm her up. She still doesn’t speak, knows that she seems a bit quiet in this moment. But it’s been the mindblowing orgasm he gave her moments ago. Her brain is still slow. She’s still in a different universe than the one he is in. She’s impressed every time how physically and mentally active he is after sex, when all she wants to do is pass out on top of him and take a good nap. 

Taylor steps onto the bath mat laying right in front of the shower and starts to dry herself up. They both don’t speak much right now. Travis leaves the bathroom first, steps barefoot into his master bedroom. She can hear his steps on the carpet. Looking in the bathroom mirror, she starts massaging her wet hair with the soft towel. She knows that her curls will come out in all their glory today if she won’t be blowdrying them. But that’s okay. Today, it’s okay. 

“Here.” she hears him behind her. She turns around for a second, finds him standing in the door way fully naked. A view she’s gotten used to by now. He just places one of his KC shirts on the counter next to the sink. Right on top of his shirt, one of her fresh thongs neatly folded up. She looks at him with the towel still covering her body. She can’t help but smirk, looks from the thong back to him. 

“What?” he says, knows exactly why she looks this way. “I was doing laundry last week and found it in my laundry basket. So I washed it with my stuff.” 

“And.. then you folded it for me?” she asks, making Travis laugh quietly.

“Yes, and?” 

“Nothing.” she says, a little giggle escaping her mouth. 

“You’re weird.” he just says, leans in to steal her cheek a kiss and walks away, on a mission to find some clothes himself. She slowly lets the towel fall to the ground and gets dressed. She smiles to herself. It’s weird how normal this has become. Her underwear in his laundry basket. Off days in bed together. In nothing but his shirt. She looks up into the mirror again. Her wet curls are slowly starting to dry. His shirt fits like a dress on her. For a moment she stares into her own eyes. She knows where this is going. And she knows there’s no stopping it anymore. 

“Eggs or French Toast?” she can hear him yell from the hallway. She reaches for her hair brush in her little cosmectic bag, starts untangling her curly hair.

“French toast please.” she yells back and gets a shallow “Coming right up” from downstairs. 

___

In a pair of wool socks that are way too big on her, but which she has found in his sock drawer, Taylor makes her way downstairs. The smell coming from the kitchen automatically makes her smile. It’s been a while since she’s had someone make breakfast for her. It’s been a while since she wasn’t the one providing for another human being. 

As soon as she’s in the kitchen, he looks up from the pan, smiles at her. He’s wearing a pair of boxers, a Nike tee covering his torso. 

“Perfect timing as always” he says. Taylor doesn’t stop before him, just wraps her arms around his torso from behind, like a little panda. He giggles once, and she lets go of him as soon as she feels him transfer the french toast onto the plate next to him.

“Smells incredible.” she says, still can’t quite believe he’s just made her breakfast. 

“Go sit down, babe. I’ll get you a coffee as well.” 

She smiles, almost feels bad watching him do all the work. But he signals her to go sit down on the stool by the kitchen island. She slowly crawls onto one of the chairs, keeps on watching him prepare this meal. He grabs a bunch of rasperries, strawberries, bananas and blueberries and sprinkles them on top of the french toast. She really is impressed. To say the least. 

“Here you go.”

Travis stands right next to her, placing the plate in front of her. She just looks at the fruit next to the toast, realizes that the banana slices on the side are forming a smiley. Just when she wanted to say something to him is when he leans in to give her cheek the softest kiss she’s ever known. She feels emotional suddenly. This treatment is not something she’s used to. 

“Thank you so much.” she just says, feels his fingers in her back move gently. He still smiles at her, giving her back one last squeeze. And she hates to feel him let go right now. Travis just walks back to the kitchen, starts to prepare coffee for the two of them. 

“This looks incredible, Trav.” she says, slowly reaches for the fork he placed next to her plate. She steals one raspberry with her fork, watches him make some coffee. She can’t believe how he just spoils her, in his very own way, naturally. As if she hadn’t made it clear to him that she’s not ready for anything more than this. More than days in bed together. More than sex and laughs. Weekend trips to Kansas City when Eleanor is with her grandparents. Late night hotel rooms in New York City when he’s in town for work. She knows he forgave her slip up a few months ago. She knows he understood that being a single mom, and dating for the first time since Joe has been hard on her. She did expect him to eventually cave in after their fight, just so they could both indulge in their incredible sexual chemistry again. And they did. But what she didn’t expect is how kind he’s been. How gentle. How… loving. 

“Iced or hot?” 

She’s suddenly pulled out of her thoughts, looks at him standing in front of his expensive DeLonghi coffee machine. “Hot, please. Thanks.” Taylor watches him open the fridge again. He pulls out a can of Almond milk. She can’t believe it. 

“You got me almond milk?” 

“Of course I did.” he says, proudly, starts frothing some of the milk for her. She smiles at him from over here. He’s doing the most. He really is. After a few moments, Travis makes his way back to her, placing a mug full of hot coffee in front of her plate. He sits down next to her, and she gives him a questioning look. 

“Where’s your breakfast?” she asks him, but he doesn’t shrug. 

“I’m not hungry.” 

“Trav.” 

“No, I’m serious.” he laughs, “I never eat breakfast. Not sure why.. I just can’t get anything down before noon.” 

Taylor sits there, in front of her plate with a banana sliced smiley face and a fruity french toast in the middle of it. She can’t believe he just made her breakfast without eating anything himself.

“But.. you didn’t have to… to put in all this work to make me..” 

“It was no work.” he laughs, his hand already on her back again. She likes that this is his thing. Holding her in her back. She likes it a lot. 

“You’re my guest. Need to make sure you’re well fed.” 

She smiles at him, thankful. She places her hand on his cheek, right over his beard, gets closer to him and kisses him gently. 

“You’re so sweet.”

He smiles at her, a little more intrigued than before. He hasn’t experienced her like this before. She’s softer than she normally allows herself to be around him. Her voice all quiet all of the sudden. Her small fingers still on his cheek. 

“You deserve it.” he replies, the same tone of voice as her. She smiles at him again, lets go of his face and digs into the plate of goodness in front of her. He just sits next to her, watches her eat. It’s so mundane, but he loves every second of it. And he knows why that is. He knows he’s not just overstepped one of the boundaries she gave him. Instead, he overran any boundary she ever gave him. It’s not just sex to him anymore, and maybe it never has been. He feels himself falling for this woman with the messy curls in front of him. He’s falling for the way her little hands are always reaching for his, not just when having sex. He feels himself falling for the way she sounds in the morning, her voice full of sleep. He feels himself falling for the way she speaks about music, her job, her family, her passions. But mostly, he can feel himself become softer and softer around her. His heart is slowly opening up with every moment he spends with her. And he knows why that is. Because she’s pure sunshine and love. Not a single bad ounce about her. Sometimes, he’s convinced she feels the same, and then again he thinks that this, sex with no committments, might be the only thing he will ever get with her. But it would be enough. If he can just keep her in his life, it would be enough.

“And?” 

She smiles at him, munching her breakfast with a sparkle in her eyes. 

“Soooo good.” she mumbles, making him smile again. “Sure you don’t want to try?” she asks him, holding a fork of French toast in front of his face. He caves in, opens his mouth and tries some of the food he so eagerly prepared to impress her. Travis chews and nods.

“I definitely have outdone myself.” 

Taylor giggles quietly. 

“You have. It’s really good. You always say you can’t cook but your breakfast food cooking skills so far have been A+. Hands down.” 

“I’m glad.” he smiles, watches her finish her plate. 

“You know, Eleanor hates French toast. At least when I make it. But I’m convinced, she would eat yours.” she says then. For a minute, Travis looks at her a bit shocked but positively surprised. Ever since that night at the piercing studio, neither of the two had brought up Eleanor again. After all, he respects her decision to keep him away from her. It hurts him, if he’s being honest to himself. It really does. But he respects her motherly instincts. Even more surprising it is to him how casually she’s bringing her little girl up in their conversation right now. 

“Really?” he asks, careful not to say the wrong thing. “Is she not a sweet breakfast eater?” 

Taylor smiles at the thought of her little girl being the pickiest eater on this planet. It’s something she had to adjust to. That, she definitely has from her father. 

“She loves the super unhealthy stuff. Like.. give her a donut and she will eat it in no time. Eggs… sometimes. If we’re having a good day. But fruit? Forget it.” she says, laughing a little while picking on her plate. He smiles at her, nods. 

“I was the same way as a kid. My mom took me to the pediatrician at some point because all I would eat was white toast and sausages.” 

Taylor laughs at him, digs her fork into the last strawberry and holds the berry in front of his mouth. He opens up, thankfully chews the berry. 

“Your poor mom. Eleanor at least eats potatoes and broccoli, but… yeah. It’s difficult.” 

Travis doesn’t say anything, can’t stop smiling at her speak. He admires how thoughtful she is when it comes to Eleanor. He admires this side of her, being so caring for her little girl. 

“You’re a great mom.” 

She holds in for a moment. Doesn’t reply right away. For a moment, Travis fears he’s said the wrong thing. But she just finishes her plate, looks back at him one more time. 

“You don’t even know if I am a good mom.” 

“I do know.” he says, a bit more cocky on purpose. “I know because the way you fought me in that cab a few months ago? That’s a good mom. It was the right thing to do. You want to protect your little girl. I admire that a lot.” 

She feels a little uncomfortable suddenly. For the first time since sitting next to him this morning. She feels embarrassed thinking back to her losing her mind. She was so unfair to him. Cold. Just a horrible person. It means a lot that this is how he sees her. It really means a lot. 

“Thanks.” she whispers. Pushes the plate away. “And thanks again for breakfast.” 

He smiles, nods then. 

“Sure.” 

___

With her big headphones tugged over her bundled up hair, Taylor stares at the MacBook on her lap. She really thought being stuck in traffic since an hour already would mean she could get some more work done before she’s back home and spends the evening with mom duties. But of course, how could it be any different, her internet connection is horrible. There’s a bunch of email sitting right in her outbox. She just sighs. She takes her headphones off her head for a moment, presses a button in front of her. The black slider separating the backseat from the front of the SUV rolls down slowly. 

“Sorry, Brandon, do we know what is going on with this traffic? I’m supposed to pick up Eleanor in thirty minutes…” 

The man in the front seat doesn’t look to pleased either. The vehicle is stuck in standing traffic since half an hour already. There’s no police cars in sight, no indication yet of what may have caused this unusual traffic on the way from JFK back to the city on this Monday evening. 

“I’m not sure we’ll be in the city by then, unfortunately. We’re currently still about 45 minutes away.” 

Taylor sighs, then nods. She knows it’s not her driver’s fault. But this is why she hates driving home from the airport on a weekday evening during rush hour. Especially after the two days she’s just had. Hospital. Nashville. Her sick mother taking up all of her attention. Taylor sighs. She’s barely slept, and the last thing she needs is an anxious Eleanor because her mom didn’t pick her up on time. 

“Alright, thanks Brandon. Can you let me know if you find out what’s going on?” 

“Of course, miss. I will let you know what traffic control says.” 

“Thanks.” she sighs, rolls up the black slider again. She closes down her laptop, having given up hope that her emails will still make it out of her outbox. She grabs her phone, can see that she’s got messages from one guy, and one guy only. Travis. She smiles for a moment. For the first time in three days, actually. He sent her a selfie of himself in the make up chair backstage. She has to smile again. He surely is handsome. 

Getting ready for the interview. Miss you.

She holds her breath for a second. Everything inside of her is tingling. She knew it would eventually come this far. She knew it deep down the second she met him for the first time. Little ‘i miss yous’ that are being shared, happiness arising in her stomach as soon as she gets a text frok him. She knows that they’re slowly but surely becoming more than just bed buddies. He misses her. And she believes him. She does miss him too. 

Taylor hides her face behind her hands. She’s falling in love again. This dark, complicated, destructive thing that almost took everything she had, is coming back again. She stares out of the window. It’s slowly starting to rain. The car still not moving. 

Loving Joe was a drug that almost took her down, completely. And leaving him was like rehab. Moving to New York, cutting all invisible strings that still led to him was what saved her in the end. She promised herself so many times that never in her life would she ever let someone close enough to hurt her like he did. Taylor looks down at Travis and his kind smile on her screen. 

Here we go again. 

Taylor starts typing, deletes everything she just said, then looks outside again. She takes a deep breath. Then hits send. 

I miss you, too.

She swallows, locks her iphone immediately. She had to say it. She had to not let her self-destructive tendancies get in the way of being honest with herself, with this kind man who’s done nothing but bring sunshine into her life these past months. 

___

“What do you say, shall we grab a drink at the hotel bar after this? Or do you want to hit up the bar next door?” 

Travis grins at his friend, the low lighting in this restaurant setting the mood. It’s loud in here. It’s busy. And dark. The kind of darkness that really indicates to everyone here, that this restaurant in the heart of the West Village, really isn’t the ordinary French restaurant as so many in this neighbourhood. The lighting sets the mood, but it also has a function. The function to give high profile celebrities a false sense of security to remain unseen. To be able to dine out in the city, without getting stared at and people taking pictures of them stuffing their faces with food. Travis knows what he’s talking about. He used to think his own celebrity was rough at times. But ever since he’s known Taylor, he understands that he never had anything to complain about.

“Ross, man.” Travis says, a smile in his face, but definitely a tired one. “Dude, I appreciate you being a good sport and making the most of these two days in the city but we need to get up early tomorrow morning to jump on a flight and I have to go to practice as soon as I arrive in KC. I’m sorry to say it but your boy needs his sleep. I’m not in my twenties no more.” he says, and Ross sighs. 

“Neither are you, by the way.” he adds, laughing at his friend before taking a last sip of his drink. 

Ross just shakes his head, pretending to be disappointed. Truth is, the old Travis would have hit the clubs in the city right in this moment. The old Travis would have completely destroyed himself tonight, disregarding any type of responsibilities that his job and lifestyle as an athlete bring with it. And he’s proud of the man sitting in front of him. He’s proud that his friend seems to really have learned in these past year what it means to take care of yourself. What it means to choose wisely. He will never not be inspired by Travis.

“Alright, thanks grandpa.” he says, but the smile on his face tells Travis he’s all in with the idea of getting some good sleep and calling it a night. Travis signals the waiter that he wants to get the bill. Just in that moment, his phone screen lights up. So bright in this darkened restaurant that not just Travis but also Ross immediately see on the buzzing iPhone screen who’s calling him. Ross smiles immediately, already pats his friend’s shoulder over the table. 

“Wow, looks like you might not get any sleep tonight after all, huh?” 

Travis just laughs, shakes his head immediately. Truth is, he’s happy to hear from her. He’s happy to answer this call right now, right in this minute, just to hear her voice. He doesn’t expect her to offer him to meet up later tonight. She made it clear to him that she will spend the evening with her child at home. And he respects that decision. More than that. She’s an excellent mother. And he can only imagine how difficult it must be to balance work commitments while being a single parent. 

Just when Travis picks up, and holds his phone close to his ear, is when he realizes quickly that she’s not half as happy as he expected her to be. It’s quite the opposite. Her little “Trav” causes him to worry immediately. His face gesture changes, and Ross notices. He signals his friend that he will step outside of the restaurant for a minute. It really is way too loud for them to have a private conversation right now. As soon as the big man opens the main door and steps outside is when he realizes how cold it really is. He’s just wearing a black t-shirt. Of course the New York winter wind would hit him hard. But that’s not what matters to him right now. What matters to him is that it’s quiet. That he can now hear her clearly. 

“Hey, Tay.” he says, and hears her sniffling. Immediately, his pulse rises. Something happened. He just knows. 

“Trav, I’m so sorry but.. can you talk right now for a bit?” 

Travis swallows. He feels goosebumps build all over his body. But this time, it’s not from the cold. 

“Of course, what is it? What happened?” 

He can hear her hestitate. And he hates every second of it. 

“I just.. I don’t even know why I’m calling you.” 

He can hear it clearly now. She’s crying. Almost sobbing. His stomach aches suddenly. He’s never heard her cry. And it’s a horrible feeling.

“Hey, what is it? I’m always here for you, you know that.” 

He can hear her take a shaky breath at the end of the phone line. 

“I’ve just had the worst two days with my mom at the hospital. She’s had her last procedure and the side effects were.. just so bad. It’s so horrible seeing your mom be too sick to speak with you. And.. and instead of just being home with my child right now, I’m stuck in traffic since almost an hour. Eleanor is at her friend Gracies’ house. She.. she just met this little girl at Kindergarten the other day. She barely knows her. Blake dropped her off this morning and I was supposed to pick her up an hour ago. But I’m in traffic, Blake is in LA now, I can’t reach Ashley or Zoe. My dad is in Florida and Austin is in Chicago. No one fucking pics up their phones these days. And… and on top of all that, Gracies mother just called me that Eleanor seems to have a fever again and when I talked to her she was almost crying, and…”

Taylor stops for a moment, and he knows why. She’s overwhelmed. She’s in need of some help. And she turned to him. He can’t believe she turned to him. 

Travis opens his mouth, about to say what he knows could set off another bomb in her. But he’s bold tonight.

“I can pick her up for you. Get her home. Just give me the address and I…”

“Trav, that’s…” she hesitates for a second. “That’s very sweet but I don’t think that’s a good idea.” 

Travis remains quiet. He disagrees with her. He completely disagrees. 

“Why not? Tay, I..” He takes a deep breath into the cold evening air. “I care about you. I care about your daughter, who I’ve never even met. I’m… I’m good with kids. Great, I’d say. I want to help out. There’s nothing worse than being sick as a kid and not being home.” 

Taylor listens to him talk. She takes her time, closes her eyes and leans her head back. A single tear is streaming down her cheek. This could be the worst decision she’s ever made. It easily could be. 

“I know.” 

It’s quiet. Travis hears her shaky breath. 

“Hey.” he says then. He got her attention now. 

“You trust me, right?” 

“Of course I do.” she says, not even hesitating for a second and it calms him immensely. She takes another breath, then opens her mouth again. 

“Thanks, Travis. Thanks so much. I.. I would love if you can pick her up.” she murmurs, a tear still running down her cheek. He smiles. For a moment, he can just smile. Because in a weird way, he hasn’t felt this happy in a very very long time. 

“I just.. I just need you to pick her up, tuck her into bed and make sure she’s fine. I’m trying to get home as fast as I can, but…but it might take an hour or two even.” her voice breaks again. Travis can hear that clearly. 

“Tay, it’s absolutely fine. I literally just finished dinner. I can pick her up. Give me the address, you speak to her to explain who I am and then I’ll get her home and bring her to bed. Really, I..” he sighs into the cold evening air. He knows she’s worried. But worrying about him handling a toddler shouldn’t be one of the things she’s worried about right now. After all, he loves children. Spending time with his nieces has been changing his heart forever in these past years. It has just confirmed that all he wants in this lifetime is to be a father himself one day. He just wishes she could give him the trust she needs in this moment. 

“Okay.” she croaks, still sniffling a little bit.  

“Everything will be fine. I promise you. Tell your driver to leave the highway and take a different route. And until you’re in New York, I’ll be watching your baby girl. I promise.” 

Taylor nods, a tear stil running down her cheek. She knew that being a single mother would be a challenge. But it’s these moments where she realizes what she gave up when leaving London. A family home. A mother in law who would watch Eleanor a lot. Two uncles who would check on Eleanor as soon as she wasn’t able to. Joe was a bad partner in the end. A bad father even. But she was never alone. She knows she’s got friends now in the city. But no one was there for her tonight. No one was there for her baby, except for him, who just happens to be in New York for work. She swallows. A tough realization that really hurts. 

“Thanks Trav. I will text you the address and call Gracie’s mom to speak to Eleanor and explain who you are. She…” Taylor stops for a second. “She’s usually very easy, but just make sure she doesn’t forget to take Mister Frogles home. She can’t sleep without him.” 

“Mister Frogles?” Travis asks, smiling. 

“It’s a frog. Don’t even ask.” 

He laughs quietly. He knows how upset Taylor is, but he couldn’t be more thankful that she trusts him enough with her daughter in this moment. 

“Alright. Send me the address, speak to Eleanor and then relax a little until you’re home. There’s nothing for you to worry about. I will call you as soon as I get her home.” 

“Thanks, Trav. Really… thanks.” 

He smiles, nods, even though he knows she can’t see him. 

“No need to say thanks. Speak to you in a bit.” 

___

Travis pushes the thick marble door to enter the building, checking his phone again. He must be in the right place. He’s never been in this part of town, but he definitely has seen these kind of Upper East Side buildings in the Woody Allen movies he used to watch with his mom when he was a kid. He’s always been fascinated by this city. Crazy to think that this is where a little child grows up. 

Travis looks around, trying to find apartment 3C. Suddenly, a door at the end of the luxurious corridor opens. An Asian woman peaks her head out, smiling nicely at him. 

“Travis?” 

“Yes, hi.” he says, relieved to have found the right home. 

“I’m.. I’m here to pick up Eleanor for Taylor?”

“Of course, Taylor just called. Come in.” 

Travis smiles thankfully, enters the warm home. This apartment is pretty impressive. At the end of the penthouse apartment is a generous floor to ceiling window, showcasing the city’s skyline and making up the entire backwall. It’s clearly one of those modern, minimalistic architectual digest apartments. He’s impressed, even though it’s a bit too cold and sterile for his taste. 

“So, I took her temperature a while back. She’s at a hundred right now. It all started a few hours ago, when I came into the room and the girls were playing and Eleanor complained about her sore throat. Poor thing is coughing all night. I gave her paracetamol before, but she’s pretty much just been asking about her mom, saying she wants to go home. Gracie is getting ready for bed now, but I couldn’t get Eleanor to lay down.” 

Travis just follows the woman, listens to her talking, but then again, can’t really focus on anything she says. His gaze falls onto the little blonde curly head sitting at the end of the playroom on the carpet. Her little cheeks read from her fever. Mister Frogles under her arm, and these same damn eyes on her face that he loves so much about Taylor. He knows, how awful this situation must be for Eleanor. A stranger coming to pick her up. When really, all she wants, is to be in her mom’s arms. 

“Hey, Eleanor.” he says then, the biggest smile on his face while standing in the door frame. He looks at her from the other end of the room, respects her space and wants to give her some time, not to get too close to her just now. He knows he’s tall and big, but he hopes she won’t get scared off. After all, his nieces have known him since they were babies. This little girl just meets him for the first time today.

“I’m Travis. But you can call me Travy if you want. I’m your mom’s friend. And your mom called me tonight to ask me to pick you up and get you home. Is that alright for you? Or do you want to stay here and wait for mommy?” he says gently, not forcing her to do anything. The little girl just sits there, looking at him with big eyes. He can’t help but smile some more. She’s really the most adorable little girl, aside from his nieces of course, that he’s ever encountered. And she looks just like Taylor. Her entire face just a miniature version of Taylor’s. But then again, she’s a lot quieter than Wyatt or Ellie. She’s shy. He gets it. 

“Ella, Travis will bring you home, mhm? Is that okay for you?” 

“Where’s my mommy?” she whispers then, a croaky voice coming from the little human. Travis swallows, looks directly into her eyes again. Instead of rushing to get her into the waiting car downstairs, he sits down at the end of the carpet for a minute. He still wants to give her some space. After all, he’s a stranger to her and the last thing he wants is to traumatize this little girl for life by making her feel like she’s being kidnapped by a big tall man. 

“Your mommy is stuck in traffic. Shall we call her?” Travis asks, already takes out his phone. Eleanor nods immediately, clearly holding onto her little frog teddy. “She was so worried about you being sick, so she called me to ask if I can drive you home and we can wait for her there.” 

Eleanor doesn’t say anything, just watches Travis closely. He can see in her eyes, that she’s not feeling well. Her eyes are glassy. Her cheeks a bit reddened. Travis quickly facetimes Taylor and she picks up within seconds. She looks beautiful as always, but he can sense the tiredness even through the crappy internet connection.

“Are you there?” she asks Travis, panic in her voice. 

“Yes, look who wants to say hi to you.” he smiles, turns the phone around so that Eleanor can clearly see her mom. 

“Honey, hi.” Taylor says, and Eleanor crawls closer to Travis. “Mommy, where are you?” she asks quietly into the phone and Taylor’s heart almost rips into a dozen pieces.

“I’m stuck in traffic baby, look.” she says, turning her own camera around to show her the standing cars on this driveway. 

“I hope I can be home soon, baby. Maybe one or two more hours.” 

Travis watches Eleanor’s face carefully. She doesn’t seem convinced yet, her eyes wandering intrigued from Taylor to Travis and back. He just smiles. He hopes he can gain her trust enough to get her to go with him.

“Baby, remember when I was away for the evening last week? When I said I’m seeing my friend? That was Travis. He’s a really really good friend of mommy. He’s really really kind. And you know what? He loves watching Bluey as well. Can you believe? It’s your favorite show!” 

Travis has to laugh a little at Taylor’s words but whatever she’s doing seems to work. Eleanor looks at him, still intrigued, but now a little smile on her face. 

“But Bluey is for children.” 

Both Travis and Taylor start laughing. 

“Very true, but you know what? I have three nieces, and two of them are just your age. And whenever I see them, we always watch Bluey together. It’s their favorite show on tv!” 

Eleanor nods, looks back at her mom on the phone screen. 

“It’s my favorite show too.” she says, still shy but definitely a little more open than before. 

“I thought so. Who’s your favorite character?” 

Eleanor starts thinking, and the shyness is coming through again. He smiles at her. She’s so adorable, it’s hard not to smile at this little girl. 

“I know who your favorite Bluey character is..” Taylor says at the other end of the line. 

“Elsa.” 

Both Travis and her laugh again. 

“Yeah her favorite person in the world is Elsa, nothing compares to that, not even Bluey.” Taylor says laughing at her baby girl, who seems a little captivated by the conversation with Travis. 

“Do you like Elsa more than Anna?” he asks, and Eleanor starts nodding. A big smile on her face now. 

“Yes because, because her hair is like my hair, just a bit longer. And she also sings like my mommy.” 

“That’s so true. You look a lot like Elsa actually.” Travis says and Eleanor giggles a little. Taylor just witnesses the little conversation at the other end of the line and her heart melts. She’s reminded in this moment why she kept on seeing Travis. Even after telling herself so many times that he’s not her type. He’s so, unbelievably, kind. And the fact that he’s winning Eleanor over that quickly shows her she’s not the only one impressed by his kindness. 

“My friend Emily looks like Anna.” Eleanor says then, her arms still holding onto Mister Frogles. “And.. and together we always play Elsa and Anna because my grandpa got me Olaf.” 

“You have Olaf at home?” Travis says with his eyes widened and the biggest surprise face on. “That’s so cool.” 

Eleanor nods, and Taylor can’t believe that her little shy daughter is not even facing the screen anymore at this point. Her gaze fully focused on Travis. She’s relieved. She’s so so relieved. 

“Honey, let’s go home with Travis and you can show him Olaf in your room. I’ll be there too in a bit. I love you so much, okay?” 

Eleanor nods. “Okay mommy.” 

“Alright, say goodbye mommy.” Travis says to the little girl, taking his phone in his hand again now. 

“Bye mommy.” Eleanor says, and Travis carefully hangs up. He hopes that the little girl will continue to be so engaged with him. 

“Come on, lets go home to Olaf, mhm?” Travis smiles at her and the little curly head nods. She slowly gets up and makes her way towards him. He can’t believe how trusting she is, gets up as well and just looks at Gracie’s mother passing him the little koala backpack. 

“Eleanor, your shoes are by the door.” she smiles and the curly head walks past him to the door, mister frogles securely under her arm. Travis makes his way behind the little child, smiles at her assuringly as she slips into her sneakers. After a few moments, he notices her stare while sitting by the door mat. For a moment, he’s confused.

“You good to go?”

“Can you help me?” the tiny voice asks, and Travis immediately nods, almost feeling embarrassed that he didn’t get it the first second. This is one of the things he’s not used to. Of course, a little toddler her age can’t tie her own shoes. 

Travis kneels down, a little awkward, tries to tie these tiny laces for her. But it’s not easy. Small humans have small shoes and small shoe laces. And his big Yeti hands definitely weren’t made to tie these. 

“Alright, good to go.” he says, glad to have passed this first challenge as a baby sitter. 

“Here’s your jacket, Eleanor.” Gracie’s mom says, helps her put on her little green puff jacket. 

“Bye Eleanor.” 

Travis now hears another tiny voice behind him. Gracie, not much taller than the blonde girl in front of him ran up to them from the living room, waves her hand at Eleanor in her pajamas. Travis smiles at the small girl. 

“I hope you feel healthy again soon.” she says, and it makes Travis smile. These two children are really adorable. 

“Thanks.” Eleanor says quietly. Her cheeks are still a bit flushed from her fever. 

“Alright girly, lets get you home.” Travis says to the the miniature version of Taylor, smiles thankfully at Gracie’s mother and the little girl. As soon as the door to the apartment closes, he feels a small hand reach for his fingers. A little surprised, Travis holds onto her hand, slowly makes his way to the stairs with her. 

“I’m sure you’re so happy to go home, mhm?” he says, trying to make the little five year old as comfortable as possible - considering the fact that he’s a total stranger, after all. 

“Do you know where my home is?” she asks then, looks up at the tall man easily towering her. He nods, starts walking the stairs with her. 

“I do. I’ve never been to your home but your mommy has sent her security guys and they will drive us home.”

Eleanor seems happy with that answer, doesn’t say anything further. With a tiny backpack over his shoulder and the little blonde girl on his index finger, he realizes that walking the steps from the third floor, if you’re a small human, actually takes a lot longer than he thought. Travis patiently waits, then has an idea. 

“Want me to carry you piggyback style?” 

Eleanor smiles, nods immediately. He knew she would love that idea. After all, Elliott and Wyatt love whenever he carries them around like a camel in the desert. 

“Okay, crawl onto my back.” He says, now fully kneeing on the carpet of the hallway. Eleanor reaches for his shoulders and within a second, Travis stands up, holding securely onto her small feet. All he can hear is the little girl’s giggles and he feels his heart expanding in size. To her amusement, Travis now jogs down the stairs, making sure she’s bouncing around properly which clearly makes her laugh even more. As soon as they step outside the building door, Travis slowly knees down to let her stand on the floor again. He smiles at her, makes sure to fix her jacket in the cold. 

“That was fun, huh?”

“Yeah.” She smiles in her little voice, and he’s glad he could entertain her for a bit. 

“Okay, let’s get you home.” 

He opens the car door, helps Eleanor crawl into her car seat. 

“Hi Michael.” she says to his surprise. Eleanor seems to know the driver well. 

“Hi Miss Eleanor.” the man smiles at the little girl. 

“My mommy is in traffic.” she says with big eyes, doesn’t mind Travis fastening the safety belt of her car seat. He can’t help smile at Eleanor. She’s too sweet. Her mom being in traffic is obviously a big thing for the five year old. 

“I heard.” the man says, smiling into the rearview mirror. 

“Here you go.” Travis mumbles, fixing Mister Frogles on her lap before closing the door and getting into the back of the car right next to her. As soon as the car starts, he can see Eleanor looking out the window. Travis takes a deep breath, takes a look at his phone again. He smiles at the screen. 

Thanks a million for this, Trav. Let me know if you need anything. Just call. We’re moving again now, so hopefully I’ll be home soon.

He knows that Taylor is anxious about leaving Eleanor and him alone for the first time, but this is his chance to prove to her that letting him enter Eleanor’s life won’t be so bad after all. He replies to her text quickly, then looks back up to Eleanor. She’s fast asleep, her flushed cheek pressed against the headrest of the children’s car seat. He smiles at the little girl. After all, she’s still sick. Carefully, Travis holds his finger against her forehead. She’s hot. She definitely has a fever. Poor thing. 

After a twenty minute drive home, the car comes to a hold. A big gate opens and the car disappears in the private parking lot of her Tribeca home. Within minutes, the car comes to a halt and the driver turns around to Travis. 

“Do you need help with her?” 

“All good, buddy. Thanks.” 

Travis appreciates the offer, but he can handle the sleepy toddler himself. He carefully leaves the car, makes his way around to open the door next to Eleanor. Her sleeping face now facing him fully, and he need to smile again. She looks just like her mother when she sleeps. No question whose baby girl this is. 

Travis slowly opens the belt of her seat. Two big hands land under her arms. He’s got a good grip on a child her size by now, having had lots of occasions where he carried one of his nieces. With her koala bag still around his shoulder, he takes the sleeping girl onto his arm. Her head immediately comes to a rest on his shoulder. Travis holds onto the little body, making sure that Mister Frogles won’t fall down either. Gladly, he closes the car door and follows the driver to the elevator. 

___

The elevator door opens, and Taylor finally makes her way into the hallway of her generous New York apartment. Light is coming from the living room. She swallows. A few more steps up the hallway, but no Travis in sight. Brandon is carrying her suitcase into her bedroom. She thanks him quietly, but her mind is already with Eleanor. With her sneakers still covering her feet, Taylor makes her way upstairs to Eleanor’s room. The little night light lighting up the hallway. As soon as she enters the doorframe, she covers her mouth with her hand. Eleanor is tucked into her bed, flushed cheeks, her face fully pressed against Travis. Like a giant he’s laying on top of her bed. His arm around her sleeping child, her favorite book on his chest. One foot on the floor, the other one in the small bed next to her. She leans her head against the door frame, can’t help but giggle quietly. 

Travis immediately signals her to be quiet. She covers her mouth with her hand again. She expected a lot, but she did not expect him to be this good with her baby. Travis takes a careful look at Eleanor, wants to convince himself that she’s really asleep now. She watches him amusedly. This big man trying to untangle himself from her sleeping baby. And it does something to her. Seeing this view definitely makes it clear to her that all boundaries are broken. He’s in her daughters bed. He’s in her house. He’s… here. And it feels better than she thought it would. 

Travis slowly places the children’s book on her nightstand, tries not to make a single sound. He slowly makes his way towards Taylor. She says nothing, just hugs him tightly. And he knows why. She’s thankful. So thankful that he was there for Eleanor when she couldn’t be. He returns the hug proudly. Thankful that she let him in. This time, really. 

“I hope she’s sleeping now.” he whispers, “I put her down when we got here but she kept waking up coughing. I made sure she drank some water. Then we read something and she passed out half an hour ago. But everytime I got up, she would wake up, so I…” 

“Trav.” she interrupts him, whispering just like he did. 

Her face says everything. 

“Thank you. So much. I..” she stops for a second, looks at Eleanor and back at him again. 

“I will give her some medicine and take her temperature quickly, okay? Give me five minutes.” 

He nods immediately. 

“Of course, take all the time you need. I.. I’ll wait downstairs.” he says. She smiles at him appreciatively. She’s so glad he understands that she needs to check on her baby first. She’s so glad he’s as unconditional as he’s been two hours ago. Travis watches her disappear in Eleanor’s room. For a moment he stands there, still unsure whether he should help her. But he knows that she’s got this. He knows that he should give her some space right now. Slowly, he makes his way downstairs. 

___

With tired steps and her hair still in a messy bun, he can watch Taylor come down the stairs. She’s wearing the same sweatpants as before, looks at him sitting on the sofa. He immediately gets up. She doesn’t stop, just walks straight into a hug with him. Standing in her living room, he says nothing, just breathes her in for a second. Taylor closes her eyes. She won’t let go of him. She can’t. 

“Thank you. Thank you for everything. I…” 

“Is she asleep?” he asks into the hug, his hands stroking her back up and down. Taylor slowly lets go off him and presses a gentle kiss onto his lips. He almost gets dizzy, because she’s more gentle than she usually is. 

“Yeah. Her fever was still at 100.4. I gave her some cough syrup and paracetamol. I’ll have to call her pediatrician tomorrow..” she rambles on, and Travis can see in her face that she’s worried. 

“It’s so weird, when we were in London she barely got sick. Every since she’s here, she’s having something else every week. I..” 

“Hey, it’s normal. It’s good.” he calms her, both his arms still around her. She looks up at him, enjoys listening to him speak. She never thought she’s dare think this thought ever again. But it’s nice not being alone with her sick daughter right now. It’s nice not going through it all by herself again. 

“It’s building their immune system. I’m sure the doc will tell you the same thing. It’s probably a virus or something.” he assures her. She nods, then cuddles her head into his chest. He can’t believe how much she’s opened up to him tonight. She’s needy. And he absolutely loves it. She called him when she was at her lowest. She turned to him when she was in need of help. And all he wants is for her to know that he’s here for her. He will always be here for her. 

Travis lowers his head, presses a kiss onto her hair. 

“Have you eaten yet?” he asks, she shakes her head on his chest. 

“How about, I order you some food and we sit and talk a bit, huh?” 

She doesn’t reply for a moment, and he’s prepared for her to ask him to leave. His offer might be a bit too much. After all, this entire day must have been too much for her. But to his surprise, Taylor lets go of him and nods. She wipes away one last tear from her eyes. She’s tired. More than that. She’s pale. He can’t imagine what she’s been through with her mom these past days. Just to come home to a sick child. 

“That would be great.” she sniffles. He smiles, both hands on her upper arms now, stroking her gently before he lets go of her to reach for his phone on the coffee table. 

“Pizza?” he looks at her. 

“Sounds great. Trav?” 

“Yeah?” 

“Can you stay the night too, please?” 

He looks at her sitting down on her couch, reaching for the blanket. She’s a mess right now. An emotional, tired mess. And she’s reaching for him, instead of pushing him away. 

“Of course. Always.”  

[butididntpourthewhiskeys]

https://www.tumblr.com/frontline-titties-of-the-fifth/744965240369889280?source=share ...travis in citybound sorry

We will all collectively go to hell one day 😂

[butididntpourthewhiskeys]

Citybound III is coming today 😭 I was hit by a massive wave of inspiration lmao please don't get used to me updating so regularly lol

[butididntpourthewhiskeys]

new citybound chapter coming soon 📚👀🏈👼🏼