𝐃𝐀𝐘𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 ✰ tayvis oneshots

𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐁𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐅𝐈𝐓𝐒

A/N: idk why, but I loveeee the 'friends with benefits' concept so much!!  Maybe it's just the thrill of watching two people dance around their feelings for each other for so long🤷‍♀️

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce had a natural connection that went back several years, though neither of them ever really put a label on it. They both lived lives marked by fame, constant media scrutiny, and relentless work schedules—Taylor, the beloved pop sensation with lyrics that told the intimate stories of her heart, and Travis, the larger-than-life NFL star whose confidence on the field mirrored his charm off it. Despite being from two different worlds, their lives collided more often than anyone realized.

It started innocently enough, at an awards show after-party in 2018. Taylor had just released Reputation—an album full of dark, brooding songs about media scrutiny and public perception—and she was reveling in the electric energy of the evening. Meanwhile, Travis had been riding high on another Pro Bowl season, and the two found themselves mingling in the same VIP section.

They shared a few jokes that night, both enjoying the ease of the conversation. Taylor liked how Travis made her feel like she could let her guard down, and Travis, who wasn't as fazed by her star power as most people, enjoyed the fact that Taylor treated him like a regular guy rather than a superstar athlete. It was refreshing for both of them.

From there, things snowballed slowly, organically. At first, it was random texts about music and football, nothing serious. They'd catch up sporadically, with weeks or even months passing between conversations. But every time they reconnected, the chemistry was undeniable. Taylor found Travis fascinating—his ability to lead a team, the pressure he handled with such ease—and Travis was equally captivated by her intellect and emotional depth. There was something unspoken between them, a gravitational pull that neither of them wanted to fight.

Over the next year, they ran into each other at more events—Super Bowl parties, charity galas, and even the occasional low-key dinner organized by mutual friends. It was at one of those dinners, a private get-together in New York in the spring of 2019, that things shifted.

Both had been drinking just enough to let their guards down a little more than usual. The restaurant buzzed with conversation, but Taylor and Travis only had eyes for each other. She teased him about his latest post-game interview, and he laughed, mentioning how he'd been listening to Lover on repeat during his workouts. The energy between them was charged.

That night, after the group left the restaurant, Travis walked Taylor back to her car. The cool night air swirled around them as they stood on the sidewalk, exchanging awkward but meaningful glances. Travis, normally so confident, found himself uncharacteristically nervous. But before he could overthink it, Taylor closed the gap between them and kissed him, her lips soft but insistent.

The kiss lingered longer than either of them expected. They both knew they'd crossed a line, but neither wanted to pull back. When they finally broke apart, there was no need for words. They both knew what this was: something complicated, something neither of them had the space or time for, but something they couldn't quite walk away from either.

And so began their friends-with-benefits relationship.

They didn't talk about it—not explicitly. Their arrangement wasn't something they planned or outlined with rules; it just was. When Taylor had a break in her tour schedule, she'd fly out to whatever city Travis was playing in, and when he had a few days off, he'd find himself in whatever city Taylor was recording or performing in. Their schedules were chaotic, but they made time for each other in ways that neither of them made time for anyone else.

It wasn't just physical. Sure, the chemistry was electric—nights in hotel rooms that felt like they were hiding from the world, stolen moments in the back seats of cars or in private jets. But there was more to it. Taylor would play him snippets of new songs before anyone else heard them, asking for his unfiltered opinion, and he'd tell her stories about the camaraderie of the locker room, about what it felt like to have 70,000 people screaming your name. They understood the pressure of being in the spotlight, of having your every move analyzed and dissected by millions of strangers.

Their connection was obvious to anyone who knew them well, but they were careful to keep it quiet. The media was always circling both of them like sharks, looking for any whiff of a new relationship or scandal. They didn't want their dynamic dissected, judged, or sensationalized. So, they played the game. They kept their interactions public enough to seem platonic, private enough to keep the truth under wraps.

Friends would joke about the way Taylor lit up when she talked about Travis, or how Travis couldn't help but smile whenever Taylor's name came up. But both of them played it off, brushing aside any insinuations with practiced ease. To the world, they were just two successful, high-profile friends who happened to enjoy each other's company.

But there were moments when it became harder to ignore the reality of what they were to each other. Like the time Travis was sidelined with a minor injury, and Taylor, in between recording sessions, showed up at his Kansas City home unannounced with takeout and a bottle of wine. They spent the night on his couch, watching old Friends reruns and talking about everything but football or music. It felt so domestic, so easy, that Travis found himself wondering what it would be like if this wasn't just something they did on the side, but something real.

Or the time Taylor had a particularly grueling stretch of her Eras  tour, and she called Travis late at night, exhausted and homesick. Without hesitation, Travis hopped on a plane, showing up backstage at her next show. She hadn't expected him to come—it was a whirlwind, even for them—but seeing him there, standing in the shadows while she performed, made her heart race in a way she hadn't felt in a long time.

It wasn't love. At least, that's what they kept telling themselves.

But as the months rolled on, it became harder to deny that whatever this was, it was becoming more than either of them had planned for. Travis started noticing little things, like how he'd think about Taylor during the most mundane parts of his day, or how his chest would tighten every time he saw her trending on Twitter because of a new song or interview. And Taylor, who had built a career on writing about love and heartbreak, found herself hesitating every time she sat down to write a song about relationships. She couldn't quite put Travis into words.

It all came to a head in late 2023, just before Taylor was set to release 1989 (Taylor's Version). She had been working tirelessly on the album, and Travis was deep into the NFL season. They hadn't seen each other in weeks, and the distance was starting to weigh on both of them. One night, after a tough loss, Travis found himself scrolling through old texts from Taylor. It hit him then, the thing he had been avoiding admitting to himself for so long: he wanted more.

He didn't want to be just friends with benefits anymore. He wanted to be with her.

When he told her, nervously, one night over FaceTime, Taylor didn't hesitate. She had known for a while that this was more than casual, more than convenient. She had just been waiting for him to realize it too.

And so, quietly, without the fanfare or media frenzy they were both so used to, they became something real. They didn't need to make an announcement or share it with the world. For the first time in years, Taylor and Travis had something that was just for them.

As the years passed, their relationship grew in ways neither of them had expected. Travis was there, front and center, at Taylor's sold-out shows, and she was in the stands, cheering him on during his biggest games. Their worlds merged in a way that felt effortless, like they had always been meant to collide.

And while the world eventually caught on—paparazzi photos and subtle social media hints giving them away—Taylor and Travis didn't care. They had spent so long keeping what they had under wraps that by the time the public found out, they were so solid, so deeply connected, that it didn't matter.

Their relationship had started in the shadows, but it had grown into something that didn't need hiding. It wasn't just a fling or a casual arrangement. It was love—quiet, unspoken, but undeniable.