Stories Of Us - Tayvis Oneshots

You are the best thing that has ever been mine

a/n Go get some snacks and hot chocolate because this is a long one. I orignally wrote this as a 2000 word one shot in November of last year, when I took my old oneshot book down I said I was going to re-write them so I have, this is now over 15000 words and took me 4 days, For context this is longer than so high school, or the alchemy. so please vote and comment because this took a lot of work and enjoy

Taylor's POV

It was one of those rare, quiet afternoons where I could slip away from the chaos of campus life, just me, my laptop, and a pile of English literature textbooks. I'd found this cozy little coffee shop off the beaten path, perfect for getting lost in studying—or more likely, working on my novel. The place had a low hum of life about it, enough noise to be comforting but not distracting. Perfect.

I picked a corner booth, tucked my legs beneath me, and opened my laptop. I had an essay due next week, but instead of tackling that, my fingers were itching to get back to the manuscript I'd been toying with for months. Some days, I convinced myself I was just a college student. Others, I let myself dream of being an author—like, a real one. Today, I needed to feel like I was both.

As I was about to dive into my notes, a deep voice broke through my concentration. "Hey there. What can I get for you?"

I glanced up, and for a second, words completely escaped me. The guy standing in front of me was tall, with broad shoulders that stretched his black t-shirt just enough to be noticeable. He had this casual, scruffy beard thing going on and warm brown eyes that made him seem like the kind of guy who was just effortlessly cool.

"Uh... coffee," I said, blinking myself back into reality. "Black, please."

He grinned, and my heart did this weird flip. "Straight to the point. I like it. I'm Travis, by the way. I'll be your waiter-slash-coffee-provider for today."

I smiled back, biting the inside of my cheek to stop from grinning like an idiot. "Taylor," I said, holding out my hand awkwardly, only realizing halfway through that no one shakes hands with their waiter.

Travis chuckled, leaning in slightly as if he was telling me a secret. "Good to meet you, Taylor." His grip was warm and firm, lingering just long enough to make my pulse quicken. "I'll get that coffee right away."

As he walked away, I exhaled, staring after him for a beat too long. I shook my head, trying to focus, but there was this weird flutter in my chest that hadn't been there a minute ago.

I opened my manuscript document, the words blurring in front of me as I tried to remember where I'd left off. It was some dramatic moment between two characters, but for some reason, all I could picture was Travis' easy smile. This wasn't helping. I needed to focus on *Henry's* unrequited love for *Claire*, not some real-life coffee shop encounter.

When he came back with my coffee, he set it down with a little flourish, like it was more than just a cup of black coffee. "Here you go, caffeine to fuel your... whatever it is you're working on over there."

I smiled, wrapping my hands around the cup. "Thanks. Just some studying."

"Studying, huh?" He nodded, but his eyes darted to my laptop screen. "Looks like more than just classwork. You're working on something."

My face flushed, and I quickly shut the laptop a little, not wanting him to see the tangled mess of a first draft that had been haunting my nights. "I'm an English major," I explained, trying to sound casual. "I write... sometimes."