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

training camp (3)

i have a fun fact for all of you which is that my drafts for this book resemble the inside of my brain which actually means that it's just a scary mess of ideas and words that really only makes sense to me. so literally back in august, a bunch of you asked for a part 3 of the little training camp series and the prompt got lost in my drafts and then i found it a few weeks ago in an attempt to organize those drafts. so anyway. that's why this took so long lmao. and also the moral of this story is if you ever want me to write something and i tell you it is in my drafts but then i do not write it, don't be afraid to ask me again! full disclosure- i don't write every single request that i get because i have to feel inspired on the things i do write, but if you really want something, please ask! anyway- there definitely won't be a part 4 to this little series but this one does wrap it up quite nicely i think so i hope you all like it- especially after all of that waiting hahaha. it's been a long time coming <3 xoxo, ab

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Travis is always excited to wrap up training camp. He understands the importance of it, knows that it sets the tone for the whole season. Still, it's a really difficult period of time away from loved ones, disconnected from the rest of the world. He remembers his first year, there was a guy on the team whose grandpa passed away and he wasn't even able to get away and fly home for the funeral. It's all football, all the time.

And while every year, those first steps back into his house signify another year survived, this year, it represents so much more. It means that he's really going to get to let Taylor in.

Naturally, after the little run-in on campus after their first date, he didn't go the rest of camp without getting any slack from Coach about his new girl, a little secret for just the two of them to know. 'Shake It Off' or 'Karma' would appear on the playlist during warmups every day. Andy would throw little hand hearts in his direction or find ways to incorporate the number thirteen into his instructions for drills. But Andy's still the only person in the whole world who knows about him and Taylor... short of her security team, that is.

Now that he's done with camp, it means that Taylor actually gets to stay the night with him for the first time. They planned for her to be at his place tomorrow, and she's staying until she goes to Mexico. Four days and three nights- and while he knows it'll pass in the blink of an eye, it feels like forever when he thinks about it, when the time hasn't even started yet. He's giddy with excitement, planning on spending the entire evening cleaning everything to make it pristine for her. Travis is not the type to usually worry about what his place looks like. He's got someone who comes in to clean once a month, but other than that, he really does very minimal. But... he really wants to make a good impression on her.

So, after eating a pizza that he ordered for delivery and spending an hour and a half catching up on some television that he missed during camp, he gets to cleaning. He dusts the shelves, sprays the counters, and vacuums the rugs. He wipes down the microwave and shelves of the refrigerator, scrubs the toilet and shower. He puts fresh sheets on both the guest bed and his own. The more work that he puts in, the more excited he gets. Twenty-four hours from now, she's going to be here. He'll be holding her in his arms, peppering kisses down her neck and shoulders. It's going to be so, so perfect.

And before he knows it, Travis finds himself sitting on his front porch, waiting for her car to pull into the driveway. He'd offered to pick her up from the airport but she'd assured him it would be fine, that her security was going to need a car and be driving to his place anyway, so she'd just hop in their backseat. Of course, that means a vicious hour of knowing that she's landed in Kansas City but isn't here with him. It nearly kills him, but the wait is so worth it when he sees the black SUV turn down the street.

He's absolutely giddy.

The widest smile, maybe in the history of man, is spread across his face as Travis stands up and walks down into his front yard, ready to meet Taylor at her car door. As soon as they're parked, he walks up, waiting for Taylor to get out. As soon as her feet touch his driveway, he's reaching for her hand. "Tay!"