Tayvis one-shots (3)

The Distance Between Us

Congrats to Tay Tay at the VMA!! She deserved it! She looks incredible!
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Taylor sat in the dimly lit backstage room, the echoes of thousands of fans still ringing in her ears after another sold-out concert on her Eras Tour. Her legs ached, her voice was hoarse, and her body was screaming for rest, but none of that was what truly weighed on her tonight. It had been weeks since she'd last seen Travis.

She leaned back on the couch, closing her eyes and letting the exhaustion wash over her. Travis was currently in the middle of his football season, playing back-to-back games across the country. It felt like they were living parallel lives, with little time to cross paths. Taylor scrolled through her phone, her heart sinking at the sight of their most recent texts — brief check-ins, "I miss you" messages, and promises to FaceTime when they weren't both too tired to keep their eyes open.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts, and her publicist, Tree, peeked her head in. "Everything okay, Tay? Do you need anything?"

Taylor shook her head, offering a tired smile. "No, I'm good, thanks. Just thinking."

Tree nodded, sensing that Taylor needed some space, and slipped back out, leaving Taylor alone with her thoughts. She pulled her phone back out, staring at Travis's contact photo. His smiling face looked back at her, and she couldn't help but feel the growing distance between them. It wasn't just the physical miles — it was the emotional gap that seemed to be widening with each passing day.

They had always known it would be hard, balancing her music career and his football schedule, but lately, it felt more difficult than ever. The phone calls were shorter, the texts less frequent, and the silence in between seemed to stretch on forever.

With a sigh, Taylor typed out a quick message to Travis.

Tay: Hey, just finished the show. Wish you could've been here. Miss you.

She hit send and waited, watching the little "delivered" note pop up under her text. She knew he was likely still at practice or doing post-game interviews, but a small part of her hoped he'd reply right away. When the minutes ticked by without a response, she sighed and tossed her phone onto the table.

"Get a grip, Swift," she muttered to herself. "You knew this would be hard."

---

Meanwhile, across the country, Travis Kelce was sitting in the locker room after a grueling game. His body ached from the hits, but his mind was somewhere else. He was thinking about Taylor — about how he hadn't seen her in weeks and how much he missed her.

He pulled out his phone, hoping for a message from her. His heart gave a small leap when he saw her text waiting for him. His fingers hovered over the screen, but instead of typing a quick response, he hesitated. How could he tell her that he felt the same way? That he missed her so much it hurt, and that he was afraid the distance was becoming too much for them?

After a few moments of indecision, he finally responded.

Trav: I miss you too. Wish I could be there. How was the show?

It was a simple message, but the words carried so much more meaning than he let on. He waited, hoping she was still awake, but after a few minutes with no reply, he sighed and leaned back against the locker, closing his eyes.

---

Taylor saw the notification pop up on her phone but didn't answer right away. She read the message over and over, the words feeling distant and hollow. They had become so good at saying the right things, at pretending everything was fine, but deep down, she knew they were both struggling.

She typed out a response, then deleted it. What was she supposed to say? That she felt like they were drifting apart? That she was scared this distance was more than just physical? She didn't want to worry him right before a game, but she also couldn't keep pretending everything was okay.