heroine (taylor swift and travis kelce)

a tiny flicker of hope

Travis was waiting for her by the front door the moment she walked out.
"Hey you," he smiled. "You did it."
Taylor looked up at him - he was still taller than her even though she was a step higher than he was. Before she could even process what she was doing, she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him close. Giving him a gentle squeeze, surprised when she didn't feel panicked as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Thank you for making me go."
And she meant it. She meant every single word, even though she'd spent the past hour and a half with tears in her eyes, clenched fists and a broken heart. He'd waited outside the entire time - he'd been sitting in the car, patiently waiting for her to finish talking about the mess in her head.
"Was it... helpful?" Travis asked her softly. He didn't pull away from the hug - and Taylor appreciated that.
She nodded against his chest. "I feel... better."
She could feel him smile, and couldn't help but smile too.

He'd waited for her. Even though it was decently warm, even though he'd barely known her. He fucking waited while she talked to her therapist and that was something she couldn't get over.
"So," Travis said as she pulled away. "What time do you have to be at the stadium this afternoon?"
"I get there at two," Taylor told him.
"Because I was thinking, only if you want to - of course... but it's kind of hot. Do you want to go get ice cream?" He paused, as if expecting her to say no. "I know you probably can't just walk up to an ice cream shop but I figured that maybe we could just drive to a nice view, and I'll find us some ice cream? But if you don't want-" He was cut off by Taylor's phone. It started ringing and it was so loud that made her jump.
"Shit, sorry." She grabbed her phone out of her pocket. "It's my Mom."
"Answer it," he told her. "But I can feel my nose burning so unless you want me looking like rudolf the red nose reindeer, let's get back in the car." Taylor laughed, following him back to the car.
"Hey, Mom." She answered the phone.
"How are you, honey? You never came home last night." Taylor could hear the worry in her Mom's voice. "I just wanted to make sure that you're okay."
"I'm with Travis, Mom. You and Dad met him yesterday."
"Oh, the friendship bracelet." Taylor could hear the hint of a smile. "He was a nice gentleman."
"Indeed," Taylor smiled. "I... Travis encouraged me to get some help for... um... you know what."
"Did he?" Relief flooded Andrea's voice.
"I just got out from talking to - do you remember Miss Ashford from school? Jennifer Ashford? Well, she left to become a therapist and I managed to get in contact and I've just had my first appointment with her. Obviously, it's a little difficult, because she lives here and I'm going all over the country, but she says we can just do video calls or whatever."
"Did... you tell her what happened?"
"Yes, I did. I told Travis too." She knew that her Mom would be relieved that she wasn't the only one who knew. That she wasn't the only one helping Taylor.
"Was he nice?"
Taylor glanced over at Travis, who was staring down at his phone.
"He was the best." Taylor replied with a smile.
"Well, I was going to ask if you wanted to come to the pool. It's pretty hot, isn't it?"
"I don't think I can just go to the pool of the hotel, Mom."
"They've shut off one of the private pools for you, young lady. Travis is welcome to come too, if he'd like."
Taylor raised a brow. "Okay, well, I'll ask him. I'll be right back."
Taylor pulled the phone away from her ear, covering it with her hand.
"My Mom wants to know if you'd like to go for a swim in the hotel pool." Taylor laughed. "Apparently being famous has its perks and they've given us an entire pool to ourselves. I know you said you don't like swimming, and you don't have to feel pressured to do it. Because I'd be just as happy going and getting ice cream."
Travis chuckled. "A pool does sound pretty nice," he spoke. "But I'm happy with whatever. I'll have to stop off home to get my swimming shit though."
"Are you sure? My Dad might harass you."
"He harassed me enough when I gave him the bracelet to give to you," Travis laughed.
"Are you sure you don't mind?"
"No, not at all! This is shaping up to be the best weekend of my life."

For the first time since it happened, Taylor felt slightly normal. She felt like there wasn't this huge, dark secret weighing her down and threatening to ruin everything in her life.
"Do you think your parents are going to be okay with me coming?" Travis asked as he dug through his wardrobe. "I swear to god if I can only find the bright pink shorts," he huffed. Taylor was standing in the doorway to his room.
"Bright pink ones, you say?" She giggled. "Oh yes, my Mom will love them."
Travis chuckled. "Jason got me them as a joke one year." He shook his head, before pulling out a pair of the brightest pink swimming trunks that Taylor had ever seen.
She covered her mouth with her hand, trying to stop from laughing.
Travis looked over at her with warm eyes. "I cannot go and meet your parents wearing these."
"Sure you can," Taylor laughed. "They're just swimming trunks, what's the big deal?"
"Taylor." He said seriously, but cut himself off with a laugh. "I guess they'll have to do. I'm going to kill Jason if he hid my other ones so that I had no choice."
"My parents won't care," she smiled. "I promise."
"Fuck, this is embarrassing." He looked at them again, shaking his head. "I'll never live this down."