Requested by: @Bookk14g
It all started with a headline. Travis had been flipping through his phone absentmindedly, catching up on football updates, when the notification popped up at the top of the screen.
**BREAKING: Joe Alwyn and Kayla Nicole Spotted Together in London! New Couple Alert?**
At first, he thought it was a joke—some fan-made rumor designed to stir up drama. He snorted, shaking his head, and scrolled past it, trying to ignore the buzz starting to build in the pit of his stomach. But as the hours passed, more notifications flooded in, each one confirming the worst. Joe, Taylor's ex, and Kayla, *his* ex, were together, and they were making sure the world knew it.
By lunchtime, it wasn't just a rumor—it was everywhere.
**The Ex Factor: Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift's former flames spark new romance!**
**Joe and Kayla make waves with pointed comments on their former relationships.**
It was bad enough that they were together, but what came next was what really lit the fuse. Joe and Kayla weren't just quietly dating—they were using their newfound relationship as a platform to take swipes at Travis and Taylor.
"They were never serious about each other," Joe said in a particularly scathing interview with a British tabloid, his expression smug and unbothered. "Taylor was always more focused on her career. I tried to make it work, but she only ever cared about the spotlight."
Kayla chimed in during her own interview with a gossip podcast. "Travis is a great guy, don't get me wrong," she said sweetly, "but he was always insecure. He knows, deep down, he isn't enough for someone like Taylor. She's always on another level. And I think he felt that. He never believes in himself around her."
By the time the clips hit social media, they were everywhere. Travis couldn't escape them. Every scroll of his phone, every glance at the TV—it was like the world wanted him to see, over and over, that his ex and Taylor's ex were united in tearing him and Taylor down.
Taylor noticed the shift in Travis immediately. He was quieter, more withdrawn, his usual easygoing confidence replaced with a tense, lingering silence. One night, after the media storm had raged for nearly a week, she found him sitting in their living room, staring blankly at his phone.
"Trav?" she called softly, stepping into the room. He didn't answer, so she walked closer, seeing the strain in his expression. "Hey, what's going on?"
He finally looked up, but his eyes were dark, tired in a way she hadn't seen before. "It's... it's them. Joe and Kayla."
Taylor let out a quiet sigh, already knowing where this was going. She sat down next to him, her hand resting on his knee as she tilted her head to catch his gaze. "What about them?"
Travis hesitated, swallowing hard before speaking. "What they're saying... I don't know. Maybe they're right."
Taylor frowned, her brows knitting together in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Kayla—what she said about me. About being insecure. Maybe... maybe she's right. I mean, you're Taylor Swift. I'm just... a guy. A football player. It's like I'm constantly trying to keep up with you, and no matter how hard I try, it's never enough." His voice cracked slightly, and the vulnerability hit Taylor like a punch to the gut.
She shifted closer, taking his hands in hers. "Travis, that's not true. You know that, right?"
He shook his head, staring down at their intertwined hands. "But what if it is? You're... bigger than life, Taylor. You could be with anyone in the world. Why would you choose me when you could have someone like Joe, who understands your world better? I feel like I'm... I don't know, not enough."
