Finally Got it Right: Collection of One Shots

I bet you're tired from a long, hard week

Based off how exhausted Travis has been looking at training camp. Also, full disclosure, I know nothing about football so ignore any inaccuracies in this. I'm trying.

The blaring of Travis' alarm in his ear is what wakes him up suddenly. The default alarm song, supplied by Apple, aggressively dragging him back into the world of consciousness. A world he was less than prepared to enter this morning. Or really any morning since he'd flown home from Germany three long days ago.

He checks the time. Seven-forty-five AM. Fuck. He'd slept through his initial two alarms, seven AM and seven-fifteen AM, then his get the fuck up now of you'll be late at seven-thirty AM, and it's his you're already late but better late than never alarm that finally has him scrubbing his hands over his face. He itches to check his phone, see if she'd messaged him over what was his night but her day. There's no time though, he needs to get moving. 

Travis isn't sure he's ever been this run down during training camp. Or if he's ever been this fatigued in his life, period. All the concerts, dancing, flights, time changes, late and sometimes sleepless nights, as well as every penny spent had been more than worth it. Even if his muscles and joints are aching with exhaustion, each day feeling harder than the last, it was all more than worth it. Every moment, awake or asleep, he got to be with Taylor, was worth everything he is feeling now. He's getting through the long days of training and meetings by the skin of his teeth but there hasn't even been a second where he's pondered if running along side her all summer was a bad idea. 

Somehow, with the help of an Accelerator, consumed way too quickly, and Patrick rushing him to get dressed, his cleats are clomping towards the field with a minute to spare. There's kids lining the pathway down to the field and he feels like an absolute ass brushing by them, hating inflicting any disappointment in them, but he's still having trouble getting his brain working enough to coordinate walking so he walks by. He simply doesn't have the capacity to interact with anyone this morning. 

Their morning training session is rough to say the least. The offensive coaches have them running attacking drills and Travis almost loses it at a guy who slams another player too aggressively for a practice. After some gruff words to the player he has to take a moment to breathe after, check-in with his emotions. He just feels so riled up and empty at the same time; it's a weird combination he's not sure he's felt before.

The final drill of the morning session, a contact receiving drill with different routes, that he gets slammed himself. Patrick called for a slant and, stupidly, he ran a curl  directly into the defender, who, and rightly so, laid him out. He doesn't have the right to be angry at the defender, it was his misplay, but as his hip bone collides harshly with the turf and it jerks his pelvis wrong and sends pain signals up his spin, he feels his blood boil. Immediately, Travis finds himself furious. The minuscule amount of emotional regulation he'd had this morning absolutely vanishing.

"Man! What the fuck, don't fucking lay me out like that" he yelled, popping back to his feet, fully planning on grabbing the offenders jersey to pull him in tight. Screaming his frustrations out at him,  screaming out the pain, emptiness, and exhaustion he's feeling. It's not the defenders fault that Travis is struggling today but he is the closest target.

"Kelce!" Andy's voice booms into Travis' consciousness. "Take a walk!"

Take a walk? He doesn't need to take a break. His anger immediate diverts to Andy; "coach! He fucking hit me!"

He's more than angry now, seething. He'd started the practice already feeling beat to shreds, the impact to his hip still has his pelvis complaining loudly, he feels like a failure for messing up such a simple drill, and now, he's being told to cool off. Plus, and he realizes in that moment, even though his mind should really only be thinking about football, he really fucking misses Taylor. It's the perfect formula for a full on and infamous Travis Kelce meltdown.