TNT Short Fics

And for once, you let go

AN: I've had this just sitting around since right after their NYC weekend mentioned but just finally edited it.

"I'm done. I don't want us to hide anymore," Taylor's voice breaks the quiet, barely audible over the hum of the plane. She's curled in her seat, knees drawn up under her oversized sweatshirt, staring out the window as Kansas City fades into clouds below.

He turns, searching her profile for more. "What do you mean? We don't hide," he asks, his brows drawing together as he studies her.

She pauses, her gaze finally drifting back to him, soft yet fierce. "No, I know." A sigh escapes her, a long, pent-up breath. She runs her fingers along the plane's armrest as if grounding herself. "I just...all this bullshit. All these made-up stories. After this past week, I realized it's never going away. People will say what they want, and I don't care anymore. I'm done trying to control it. Trying to pretend it doesn't affect me."

Even as she says the words, a part of her feels the familiar anger flare again. The latest rumor had caught her off-guard, the sting of it refusing to fade despite how quickly it was debunked. Pretending to be in love? She'd heard a lot of things about herself, about her choices, but questioning her love for Travis struck her deeply. She'd been furious, and maybe a little wounded—how could anyone who'd seen them together believe something so calculated and manipulative? And frankly, why the fuck would anyone think two people at the top of their careers would even need to do that?

He's watching her, and she knows he understands, though she's been careful to downplay this frustration for everyone but him. It wasn't even that people could be so wrong about them; that happened all the time. It was that she couldn't shake the feeling of being reduced to a storyline once again, of being seen as something unreal when her feelings for him were the truest part of her life.

"Me either, Tay. You know that, right?" He reaches for her hand, his voice gentle but steady. "We agreed on that from the start—no outside noise."

Her grip on his hand tightens, grounding herself in his touch. She shakes her head, adamant. "No, it's not you, Trav. It's just...all of it." She blows out a breath, gathering her words with care, wanting him to understand her fully.

"Even if we don't pay attention, we've still been careful. Like it could protect us." She shrugs, a half-smile at the irony. "But it doesn't. And honestly, we don't need it to. We do best when we're just us."

He can't help but grin, brushing a thumb along the back of her hand. "Yeah, you and me are golden, baby."

"Then let's just be us." Her tone sharpens, a touch of defiance. "Fucking Twitter can say what it wants. Brads and Chads can get mad. Who cares? We just live."

He smirks, the fire in her words warming him, too. "You already know I'm in, Tay." His fingers squeeze hers for emphasis.

A flicker of a smile comes across her face. "So this weekend?" She tilts her head, the playful edge in her tone shifting the mood. They've got a few things lined up for the weekend—the wedding, dinner on Sunday—but there's room to make the weekend their own.

"Just us. Fuck 'em."

She settles back into her seat, and he feels the tension melting from her shoulders. He wants to set a lighter start to their weekend—something that cuts through the BS of all the things they're leaving behind. "So...that means I can kiss you whenever I want?" he teases, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

She arches an eyebrow and asks. "Has that stopped you before?"

He laughs, tilting his head back in mock contemplation. "Once or twice. Like maybe I only kissed you three times instead of four in public."

Her laugh is high and genuine, reaching her eyes, the sound filling the small space between them. "That means I can make you hold me at all times, yeah?"

He scoffs not even pretending to resist. "As if you have to twist my arm. You already know."

Her serious tone comes back as Taylor continues, "I think...I think we just do what we want. Like this summer." Her voice grows wistful and she runs her hand across his smooth cheek as she recalls the tour. "I got so used to it, because no one on tour ever had a word to say, they were just happy for us. It was like living in a world that felt like just ours."

He nods, a warmth blooming in his chest at the memory of their sparkling summer, the endless cheers, the thrill of sharing the stage. "They really did cheer us on." He gives her hand another reassuring squeeze. "We need to remember those people are still there, on our side. That is our world. The noise on the internet—the Fox Sports commentators and the Reddit trolls? They aren't real."

Her hand still in his, she turns to him, resolute. "We're what's real."

He nods, mirroring her finality. "No hiding."

"No."

They sit in a comfortable silence, the noise of the jet engines the only sound around them. He feels a growing excitement, a bubbling need to surprise her. He's been cooking up something special and, seeing her smile now, he knows tonight will be perfect. "So can I take you out tonight?" he asks, the smile already tugging at the corner of his lips.

"You can take me out every night," she replies, her blue eyes sparkling.

"Alright, nah, but especially tonight."

She laughs. "Big plans?"

He pulls her hand up, leaving a lingering kiss there. "Oh yeah, I think we need pizza from Luciana's... and not on the roof this time. It's our belated anniversary, after all."

Her face lights up, her wide smile the kind that still catches him off guard. "I love that, Trav."

"I'll call when we land," he says.

Her hand tightens on his as if to hold the moment a bit longer. She rests her head on his shoulder, eyes closing with a peaceful sigh. "No backrooms, please. Let's just sit with everyone else."

"Yeah?" He questions, wanting her to be sure. It's one thing to declare 'no hiding' in the space just between them, but he wants her to feel every bit as comfortable as she says.

She nods, her smile unfaltering. "Yep. There will definitely be times when we want privacy or quiet, but otherwise...let's show the world what's real."

He brings her hand to his chest, tapping it gently, a small gesture of promise. "You and me, Tay."

She lets her eyes close fully now, leaning into him, breathing in his familiar scent and feeling the warmth of his arm around her. The hum of the plane, steady and low, seems to settle around them, sealing their words and the promise they've just made. A quiet smile lingers on her face as she sinks into the moment, feeling the weight of the past week finally lift.

No hiding. Just them.