I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) - A Tayvis Story

Still The Same Soul

(Travis's Perspective)

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3rd July

Travis stood outside Aric's house, his hands shoved deep into his pockets, staring at the door like it held all the answers to his overthinking. He had arrived five minutes ago but couldn't bring himself to ring the bell. His mind raced with doubts—What if he's mad? What if I screwed things up too badly to fix?

Finally, taking a deep breath, he forced himself to press the doorbell. The chime echoed faintly, and his heart thudded against his chest. A few moments later, the door opened, revealing Aric standing there. For a split second, surprise flashed across Aric's face, but it quickly melted into a neutral expression.

"Hey, bro," Travis said, offering a small smile, though his voice carried a hint of hesitation.

Aric didn't say anything immediately. Instead, he stepped aside, motioning for Travis to come in.

Travis stepped inside, his lips pressed together tightly, nerves making his palms sweat. As Aric closed the door, he began walking further into the house, but Travis reached out, gently grabbing his shoulder to stop him.

Aric turned around, his brow raised in silent question, his expression calm but unreadable.

Travis let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, bro," he started, his voice low but steady. "For the way I treated you. Leaving you on read, ignoring your calls... I was going through some stuff, but that's no excuse. I'm really, really sorry."

Aric's stern expression softened, and after a beat, he let out a sigh of his own. A small, almost teasing smile tugged at his lips before he stepped forward and pulled Travis into a hug.

"Trav, you're my brother," Aric said, clapping him firmly on the back. "You apologized, and that's all I needed to hear. I knew you'd come back eventually."

Travis froze for a moment, caught off guard by the immediate forgiveness. His chest tightened as he hugged Aric back, blinking rapidly to keep his emotions in check. "Thanks, man," he said, his voice slightly thick. "It's really good to see you. And... thanks for forgiving me. I don't deserve it, but thank you."

Aric pulled back, his hands still on Travis's shoulders. His face was more serious now. "Look, I get it. Life's hard sometimes, and I know you were dealing with a lot. I just wish you'd let me be there for you, man. That's what brothers are for."

Travis nodded, guilt flickering across his features. "Yeah, I know that now. I just... I didn't know how to deal with everything back then. But I won't do that again, I promise."

Aric gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder, a grin breaking across his face. "Alright, enough of the sappy stuff. So, what's up? You heading back to camp soon, brotherrrr?"

Travis chuckled, shaking his head at Aric's exaggerated tone. "Yeah, this doc fixed my leg up real good. I'm ready to get back out there."

Aric smirked, plopping down on the couch and grabbing the remote. "Man, I've been waiting for this. The Chiefs need you back in action. And don't get all humble on me—you know it's true."

Travis laughed, taking a seat next to him. "Yeah, yeah. Let's just hope I don't trip over my own feet at camp. That'd be embarrassing."

The two fell into their usual rhythm, teasing each other and catching up on everything they'd missed over the past year. Aric pulled out some snacks and beers, and soon, the conversation flowed effortlessly.

Travis felt a weight lift off his shoulders as they talked, cracking jokes and reminiscing about old times. He hadn't realized just how much he'd missed this—missed him.