Tayvis One-Shots

gingerbread

Taylor's POV

The scent of gingerbread filled the kitchen, mingling with the soft crackle of a holiday playlist playing in the background. Travis had the idea of a gingerbread house competition for our little holiday get-together, and I had been waiting all week to prove to him that his competitive streak was no match for mine.

"Alright, listen up!" Jason's booming voice silenced the chatter as he clapped his massive hands together. "This isn't just some arts and crafts project. This is war. Kelce against Swift. Boys versus girls."

"Cute speech," Kylie said, nudging me with a grin. "But they're gonna eat their words when we win."

I smirked, tying an apron around my waist. "Couldn't agree more."

Across the counter, Travis leaned lazily against the edge, arms crossed and a cocky grin plastered across his face. He was in full competitive mode, and I wasn't going to let it faze me.

"You ready for this, Swift?" he asked, his deep voice a low tease.

I raised an eyebrow. "Born ready. Are you ready for this? Because it's going to be embarrassing when the two of you lose in your own house."

Jason barked out a laugh. "Big words for someone who doesn't have the upper body strength to pipe frosting for more than ten minutes."

"Big talk for someone who doesn't know the difference between icing and glue," I shot back, earning a loud laugh from Kylie, who was already arranging our supplies.

Travis laughed, the sound warm and rich, as he grabbed an apron of his own. "Alright, babe. Let's see what you've got."

"Oh, I'm bringing it," I said, tying my apron with a dramatic flourish. "But just so you know, it's the kids who'll be judging, and we all know how easily kids spot talent."

"Talent?" Jason said, pretending to be offended. "Kids love chaos. We've got this in the bag."

Wyatt, Ellie, and Bennett sat nearby, eagerly watching the setup. Wyatt, five years old and already wise beyond her years, had a clipboard in hand for "judging notes." Ellie, three and the self-proclaimed candy expert, was gleefully sorting gumdrops by color, while little Bennett was gnawing on a stray gingerbread cookie.

Our station was neatly organized, with rows of candy canes, peppermint swirls, gumdrops, and piping bags. Travis and Jason's side, on the other hand, looked like a toddler's art project. There were already broken graham crackers and a suspiciously empty frosting tube.

"Timer starts now!" Kylie announced, hitting the stopwatch on her phone. "We've got 60 minutes to build the most festive, structurally sound, and creative gingerbread house this kitchen has ever seen."

"We've got this," I said confidently, rolling up my sleeves as I surveyed our materials.

"Let's just try not to eat all the candy before we're done," Kylie said, side-eyeing Jason, who had already popped a gumdrop into his mouth.

"Strategic snacking," he defended. "You wouldn't understand."

Fifteen minutes in

Kylie and I were on a roll. She worked on piping intricate patterns onto the roof while I constructed the walls with precision, using extra frosting to ensure they stayed in place. We had a theme, winter wonderland, and it was coming together perfectly.

Across the counter, however, things were not going as smoothly.

"Jason, stop eating the frosting!" Travis scolded, snatching the piping bag out of his brother's hand.