Endzone

Security secrets

A/N : sorry this is so late I have been going through some shit then um stuff happened anyways onto the story. 

Travis had just finished a away game.  Taylor had just wrapped a show and was likely already home. The text he just received made him even more anxious to get on that team jet and head back home where Taylor would meet him asap. Unfortunately that eagerness wasn't for the same reasons as it often was. 

Upon reaching the locker room, the usual cacophony of laughter and camaraderie seemed muted. He found his best friend and fellow player, Patrick Mahomes, tying his cleats with a focused intensity. Travis's expression was enough to make him pause. "What's up, man?"

Travis hesitated, then decided to unburden himself. "Taylor had a stalker. They got pretty close, and she didn't tell me."

Patrick's brows shot up. "Seriously? Is she okay?"

"Yeah, the security team took care of it. But that's just it," Travis said, his voice tightening. "They only accidentally told me because they rightfully assumed she had mentioned it.  And Drew even asked if we'd gotten any more weird packages at the house. Why wouldn't she say anything?"   He didn't  know how he felt being left out of the loop like this, especially regarding something so serious, but he didn't like it. 

Her team had basically given him an update, assuming he had already been informed and was waiting to hear more. She had recently texted him both 'good luck' and 'congratulations 💋'  on the win, yet failed to mention any of this. That bothered him 

Patrick leaned back, his hands still on his shoes. "Maybe she didn't want to worry you before the game?"

Travis's eyes narrowed. "I'm not some fragile baby, Pat. I can handle my shit."

Patrick nodded slowly, understanding the unspoken tension in Travis's words. "I know you can, but maybe she just didn't want to mess with your headspace. You know how important this game is."

Travis clenched his jaw, the frustration building. "It's not just about the game, Pat. It's about us. If she's not safe, nothing else matters."

"Look, I get it," Patrick said, standing up and placing a hand on his shoulder. "But you know Taylor—she's tough. Maybe she thought she was handling it.she's probably so used to that stuff by now. I don't think she was trying to hide it from you"

Travis shrugged off the hand, his eyes flashing with anger. "Tough or not, she's my responsibility. If anything had happened to her, I'd never forgive myself."

"You can't be everywhere at once, Trav," Patrick said, his voice gentle. "You've got to trust that she can take care of herself too. She pays people a lot of money to protect her, she's okay" 

Travis knew his friend was right, but the thought of Taylor being vulnerable gnawed at him like a persistent toothache. He took a deep breath, trying to shake off the anxiety. "I just need to talk to her. Make sure she knows how much it means to me to be in the loop. This isn't something you keep from your partner!" He was getting riled up again thinking about it 

"Yeah. Definitely talk to her. And  I suggest giving yourself time to cool down. Wait and have this conversation in person so she can see just how much this matters to you ." Patrick suggested, before just deciding to give his friend some space.   He really hoped Trav would take his advice   and wait to calm down before confronting Taylor, she doesn't deserve him lashing out at her over what's likely a miscommunication

Trav just finished packing his stuff and headed to the bus in-route to the airport. He was in a haze,  post-game his mind would usually be racing with the upcoming plays and strategies. But right now it was just a jumbled mess of  what- ifs and whys. He was uncharacteristically silent on the plane ride home to KC. His teammates seemed to sense something was off but they thankfully didn't pry.