love in the mix - a tayvis au <3

03 - a new plan

The morning after the school party, both Emma and Liam woke up with a singular, unsettling thought: things were getting complicated. Neither of them wanted their parents to end up together. It wasn't just weird; it was a recipe for disaster. And after seeing how easily Taylor and Travis had clicked, they knew they had to try a different approach. One that wouldn't blow up in their faces this time.

Emma
Emma lay sprawled across her bed, staring at the ceiling. She couldn't get the image of Liam's mom, Taylor, laughing with her dad, Travis, out of her head. The ease between them felt so wrong. She groaned and grabbed her phone, shooting off a text to Liam.

We need to talk. Like, ASAP. New plan.

A moment later, her phone buzzed.

Yeah, agreed. Meet at the park before school?

She stared at his response, feeling a mix of relief and something else she couldn't quite name. She shook it off, focusing on the task at hand. They had to stop this madness before it went any further. If their parents got serious... she didn't even want to think about it.

From the kitchen, she could hear her dad, Travis, humming a tune. He never hummed. This wasn't good. She quickly got dressed and grabbed her backpack, eager to get out of the house before she had to endure any more of this cheerful behavior.

"Morning, Dad," she said as she walked into the kitchen.

"Morning, kiddo!" Travis replied, pouring himself a coffee, his smile unusually bright. "You heading out early?"

"Yeah, meeting Liam," Emma said, trying to keep her tone nonchalant. "We've got some stuff to talk about."

Travis's smile widened knowingly. "Liam, huh? You've been hanging out with him a lot lately."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Don't start, Dad. It's not like that."

"If you say so," Travis chuckled, clearly enjoying her reaction. "Have fun."

Emma made a face and headed out the door, trying to push away the confusing feelings swirling in her chest. She didn't have time to think about Liam in that way — she had a mission.

Liam
Meanwhile, at Liam's house, Taylor was in an uncharacteristically good mood. She was making pancakes and humming softly to herself. Liam eyed her suspiciously from the kitchen table, where he was half-heartedly scrolling through his phone.

"What's with the singing?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "You never sing in the morning."

Taylor turned around, still smiling. "Oh, I don't know. Just feeling good, I guess. It was nice to get out last night and talk to people."

"People?" Liam said, his voice edging into an annoyed tone. "Or 'one' person?"

Taylor laughed. "What are you getting at, Liam?"

Liam slumped back in his chair, exasperated. "Nothing. Just... don't get too cozy with Mr. Kelce, okay?"

Taylor's eyes twinkled as she leaned against the counter. "Is that what this is about? Are you worried I'm going to start dating Emma's dad?"

Liam cringed at the word 'dating.' "It's just weird, okay? You and him? No, thanks."

Taylor smiled, but there was a note of seriousness in her voice. "I appreciate your concern, but I think I can handle it. And besides, Emma seems like a nice girl. Maybe you two should focus on having fun instead of worrying about the adults."

Liam's cheeks flushed. "It's not like that!" he protested, his voice louder than he intended. "Emma and I... We're just... friends."

Taylor raised her hands in surrender, her smile widening. "Alright, alright. Just saying."