delicate (tayvis one shots)

so american

Taylor leaned her head against the cool glass of the passenger window, watching as the endless stretches of countryside blurred by. The hum of the truck's engine, the low country music playing on the radio, and the rhythmic rise and fall of Travis's breath beside her were the only sounds that filled the stillness of the night. For the first time in what felt like forever, Taylor wasn't thinking about her next move, her next album, or the weight of the world she usually carried. Instead, she was here, in this moment, with him.

Travis glanced at her from the driver's seat, his strong hands relaxed on the wheel, but his eyes sharp and full of something that always made her heart race. He didn't need to say much. His presence, the way he carried himself—he exuded that kind of quiet confidence, that all-American charm that was so different from the chaos of her world.

"What's on your mind?" he asked, his voice deep, cutting through the quiet. His voice grounded her, tethering her back to the reality she was trying to find her way through. It was a strange contrast—her life, full of glitz and glamour, bright lights and worldwide fame, and his life, rooted in simplicity, in small towns and football games, where he was a star in his own right but in a way that was so quintessentially American. There was no façade with him, no performance. Just him.

Taylor smiled softly, pulling her knees up to her chest as she turned to face him. She could feel the steady thrum of the truck beneath her, and it somehow mirrored the steady beat of her heart, the calm she felt in his presence. "Just thinking," she replied vaguely, but the weight of her thoughts was heavier than she wanted to admit.

Travis raised an eyebrow, casting her a sidelong glance. He wasn't one to push, but he always knew when there was more going on beneath the surface. "That's dangerous for you," he teased, the corner of his mouth lifting in a grin that made her stomach flip.

Taylor chuckled, but her laughter faded quickly. Her mind was running in circles, trying to figure out how to voice what she was feeling. There was something about being with Travis, about being so far removed from the whirlwind of her everyday life, that made her feel more vulnerable than usual. It wasn't a bad feeling, but it was one she wasn't used to. With him, everything felt raw, unfiltered, like the layers she wore so often—the armor she carried—weren't necessary. He saw her in ways most people didn't. Maybe that's why she was here with him tonight, driving through the heart of America, in a place where no one would look twice at them.

"You ever think we're too different?" she asked finally, her voice soft, hesitant. She hadn't meant to let the question slip out, but once it was in the air, she couldn't take it back.

Travis's brows furrowed slightly, and he took a moment before responding. "What do you mean?"

Taylor shrugged, playing with the sleeve of his hoodie that was too big on her. "I mean... look at us. You're this all-American guy, this football star, and I'm... well, I'm me. We come from two different worlds."

Travis was quiet for a moment, the weight of her words hanging between them. When he finally spoke, his voice was steady, thoughtful. "I don't see it like that, Tay," he said, his eyes never leaving the road ahead. "Yeah, we're different, but that doesn't mean we don't work."

His words were simple, but they hit her in a way that made her chest tighten. She looked at him, studying the strong lines of his profile, the way his jaw clenched slightly as he spoke, the way his hands gripped the steering wheel with a kind of quiet strength. He was steady, solid in a way that made her feel safe. And yet, he wasn't just the small-town boy, the football hero everyone painted him as. There was more to him, layers she hadn't expected to find but was discovering more and more every day.

"You say that like it's easy," she said, her voice quieter now, more vulnerable than she intended.

Travis finally turned to look at her, his eyes meeting hers with an intensity that made her heart race. "It doesn't have to be complicated, Tay. Not everything in life has to be. Sometimes things just... fit."

The simplicity of his words knocked the wind out of her. It was so easy for him, wasn't it? To see things in black and white, to live in a world where love didn't come with the baggage of fame and expectation. He didn't know what it was like to feel so scrutinized, to have every relationship dissected and analyzed. But maybe that was why she was here with him. Because he made it simple. He made it feel real.

Taylor sighed, leaning her head back against the seat. "I don't know if I can live like that, Trav. Everything in my life has always been so... complicated."

Travis reached over, his hand finding hers and giving it a gentle squeeze. "Then let me make it simple for you."

It was such a Travis thing to say, and yet, it sent a jolt through her, warming her from the inside out. He always knew what to say, how to calm the storm in her mind. She turned her hand over in his, their fingers intertwining, and for a moment, she let herself believe that maybe it could be simple. Maybe with him, it didn't have to be complicated.

They drove in silence for a while, the only sound the low hum of the truck and the occasional song on the radio. Taylor found herself drifting, her mind wandering back to the way things used to be before everything became so overwhelming. Before the fame and the heartbreaks, before the constant pressure to be perfect, to live up to an image she wasn't sure she even recognized anymore. With Travis, it felt like she could leave all of that behind. Like she could just be *Taylor*, not the version of herself the world expected her to be.

"So where are we going?" she asked after a while, her curiosity piquing as they continued down the winding road.

Travis smiled, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "You'll see."

Taylor rolled her eyes but couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips. He always had a way of surprising her. As the truck rumbled down a narrow dirt road, Travis finally slowed down and pulled off to the side. Taylor frowned, looking around at the dark expanse of trees surrounding them.

"Where are we?" she asked, her brow furrowing.

Travis grinned as he turned off the engine and hopped out of the truck. "Come on, I want to show you something."

Taylor hesitated for a moment before following him out of the truck. The cool night air hit her as she stepped out, and she wrapped her arms around herself, pulling his hoodie tighter. Travis walked around to her side of the truck and took her hand, leading her through a small clearing in the woods. The ground was soft beneath her feet, and the trees towered above them, their leaves rustling in the gentle breeze.

After a few minutes of walking, they emerged into an open field. The stars stretched out above them, bright and endless in the clear night sky. Travis let go of her hand and spread out a blanket on the ground, motioning for her to sit.

Taylor sat down beside him, looking up at the sky in awe. "This is beautiful," she whispered.

Travis lay back on the blanket, his hands behind his head as he looked up at the stars. "I used to come here all the time when I needed to think," he said, his voice soft. "It's quiet, you know? Away from everything."

Taylor lay down beside him, their shoulders brushing as they looked up at the sky together. For a while, neither of them spoke. The weight of the world seemed to fall away, and for the first time in a long time, Taylor felt at peace.

"I get it now," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Travis turned his head to look at her, a small smile playing on his lips. "Get what?"

Taylor looked over at him, her eyes soft. "Why you love it here. It's... simple."

Travis chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Told you."

Taylor smiled, feeling a warmth spread through her. Maybe things didn't have to be so complicated. Maybe, with Travis, things could be simple.

And as they lay there beneath the stars, their hands finding each other once again, Taylor let herself believe that maybe—just maybe—she had found something real. Something worth holding on to.

—-

Another story has come to an end, and this one truly holds my heart 😭😭

Thank you (once again) to all the readers—I love every single one of you who has been supporting this 🫶🏻🫶🏻. If you haven't yet, go check out my book "guilty as sin", I think you might really enjoy it! ;)