the stars in your eyes | t.s. one shots

training camp

The woman smiles at her phone, looking at the man on the screen. His goofy grin, his mustache, the way that his hair is still wet from his shower. She knows it's ridiculous to think, but she might be falling in love with him. She hasn't even met him yet, hasn't touched his skin or breathed in his scent. But his personality, the way that he's always able to see the silver linings on even the most challenging of days and the way that he can turn anybody into his best friend in a matter of minutes, has completely stolen her heart. He's taken every crack in it and mended it with stiches of a tender, golden thread.

"I really want to meet you," she blurts. "I'm sorry, I just... I feel like this has been going so well, and I really want to take that next step."

Travis seems to be a bit taken aback. He'd initially promised Taylor that they'd take it all at her pace, and he intends to keep that promise every step of the way. She'd been healing from a pretty rough period of time in her life, and she wasn't sure she was ready to get into a new relationship yet. Travis had told her that was fine. If she wasn't, then they'd just be friends. Over the last few days, though, it's felt like something has shifted between them. Travis has noticed Taylor's confidence going up, and she's gotten more flirtatious, something which he loves to see- both from the perspective of a friend and someone who has got a huge crush on her.

Man, does he want to be more than friends with her. He wants her lipstick to be pressed into the corners of his mouth, wants to hold her as she falls asleep. At the end of a long day, Travis wants Taylor to be there to share secret moments on silky bedsheets. He wants to be the one she writes every song about, and the one she looks at in the crowd when she sings them. God, does he want to claim Taylor as his own. He's got a sneaking suspicion that she's beginning to feel the same way.

"I want to meet you too," he says. "I'd come to you. God, I'd go anywhere you'd ask me to, but I'm sort of stuck in Kansas City for all of football season."

"How long is football season?" she asks, hoping he might have a break coming up soon. At least within the next few months. She wants to go to Kansas City and see his world, watch him play and check out some local eats, but she also wants him to come and see hers. Having him in the VIP tent... that would be the most exciting thing in the world.

He chuckles a little. "If we go all the way to the top of the mountain, the Super Bowl is in February. And... I intend to get that ring again this year."

Taylor's face falls. She tries her best to hide it, staring down at her picture in the bottom corner of the FaceTime, but he still sees it. "Oh. I was hoping you might be able to come to one of my shows."

"I've got a week off, a bye week, in November, but other than that, my weekends are pretty much booked," he sighs. "You happen to be doing any shows that weekend, though?"

"I probably am, I'm in Argentina the second weekend of November, then two weekends in Brazil."

"I'm going to check my schedule for exact dates later tonight and I'll text you about it, okay?"

Taylor nods. "Okay. But Trav... I don't really want to wait that long."

He laughs. "I don't want to wait that long either. But, my games start in early September. Maybe you could come to one of those? Make it even, since I'll be coming to your concert and all?"

She pushes her hair out of her face and takes a deep breath. "That's still too long. I was thinking a little bit more like... this week."

His heart starts to race. "I'm at training camp right now, sweets. I don't know if I'd be able to spend enough time with you to make it worth it." He looks around the room. He knows he's not supposed to have guests, but also knows he could get her in here. He wouldn't be the first one of the guys to sneak a girl into his room at camp.