Tayvis One-Shots

little miss sunshine (pt 2)

Travis's POV

The sun is setting as I pull into the driveway, my car rumbling to a stop. The warm glow of the house lights spills out through the windows, a beacon of everything I love most in this world. I grab the paper bag from the passenger seat, glancing inside to make sure the surprise is still intact.

Pushing open the front door, I'm greeted by the sound of laughter, high-pitched and sweet, coming from the living room. I can't help but grin as I step inside, shrugging off my jacket and setting my keys on the counter.

"Daddy!" Everly's voice echoes through the house, followed by the rapid patter of her little feet. She rounds the corner, her curls bouncing and her stuffed bunny clutched tightly in one hand.

"Hey, Sunshine!" I crouch down just in time to catch her as she barrels into me, her tiny arms wrapping around my neck. "You been good for Mommy?"

She pulls back, giving me the most exaggerated nod, her bunny's ear smacking me in the face as she waves it around. "Uh-huh! Tea party, dancing, singing!"

"Sounds like a busy day," I say, chuckling as I straighten up, Everly still clinging to my side like a little monkey. "Where's Mommy?"

"In there!" she says, pointing toward the living room.

I follow her lead, and sure enough, there's Taylor, curled up on the couch with a book in her hands. Her hair's in a loose braid, and she's wearing one of my old hoodies—something that never fails to make my heart do a little flip.

"Hey, angel," I say, setting Everly down and crossing the room to kiss Taylor on the temple.

She looks up at me with a smile that makes the whole world fade away. "Hey, you. How were your errands?"

"Productive," I say, lifting the bag in my hand. "And I come bearing gifts."

Taylor arches an eyebrow, intrigued, while Everly bounces on her toes, her curiosity bubbling over. "What is it? What is it?" she chants, tugging at my sleeve.

I kneel down, pulling a smaller bag out of the larger one and handing it to her. "This one's for you, Sunshine."

She takes it with both hands, her eyes wide as she peeks inside. "Oh!" she gasps, pulling out a little stuffed unicorn with sparkly pink hooves.

"Unicorn!" she squeals, hugging it tightly. "Bunny friend now!"

"I figured Bunny might like some company," I say, watching her spin in circles with the unicorn held high above her head.

Taylor laughs softly, shaking her head. "You spoil her, you know that?"

"Guilty," I admit, grinning as I stand up and pull the last item from the bag. "But I didn't forget about you."

Her eyes light up as I hand her a small box wrapped in pale pink tissue paper. She sits up straighter, setting her book aside. "What's this?"

"Open it and find out," I say, leaning against the arm of the couch.

She peels back the tissue paper carefully, revealing a delicate gold necklace with a charm shaped like a sun. Her fingers brush over it, her expression softening.

"Travis," she murmurs, looking up at me. "It's beautiful."

"It reminded me of you," I say, my voice quieter now. "And of Everly. My two sunshines."

She sets the box down and reaches for me, pulling me into a kiss that's soft and sweet, like the golden hour outside.

Everly chooses that moment to climb onto the couch, her unicorn in one hand and her bunny in the other. "Mommy, look!" she says, holding up the unicorn as if it's the most important thing in the world.

Taylor laughs, pulling her into her lap. "It's perfect, Sunshine."

I sit down beside them, wrapping an arm around Taylor's shoulders and ruffling Everly's curls. The three of us sit there, tangled together on the couch, and I can't imagine a better place to be.

Everly wiggles in Taylor's lap, making her unicorn "gallop" across Taylor's arm. "Unicorn says 'thank you, Daddy!'" she declares, her curls bouncing as she nods her head like the toy is alive.

"You're welcome, Sunshine," I say, giving her a playful poke in the tummy that makes her burst into giggles.

Taylor leans her head against my shoulder, her fingers tracing absent patterns on my knee. "You're really the sweetest, you know that?" she says softly, her voice laced with that honeyed tone that never fails to make my heart race.

"I try," I say with a wink, tipping her chin up to press a kiss to her lips. It's soft and slow, her hand coming to rest on my chest. I deepen the kiss just slightly, savoring the warmth of her against me.

That's when Everly's voice cuts through the moment like a tiny tornado. "Ewwww!" she shrieks, her little nose scrunching up in dramatic horror.

Taylor pulls back, her laughter spilling out as she looks at Everly's disgusted expression. "What's 'ew'?" she asks, clearly amused.

"You're kissin'!" Everly says, clutching her unicorn to her chest as if it's protecting her from the sight. "So gross, Mommy!"

I chuckle, leaning over to scoop her up and hold her high above my head. "Gross? You think kissing Mommy is gross?" I tease, spinning her around as she squeals with laughter.

"Yes! Yucky!" she says between giggles, kicking her feet playfully.

Taylor shakes her head, still laughing. "Well, thank goodness Daddy doesn't think so. Otherwise, how would I ever get kisses?"

"Never!" Everly says firmly, pointing at me like she's laying down the law.

"Never, huh?" I say, lowering her down until we're nose to nose. "You're pretty bossy for someone who's always asking for bedtime kisses."

Her eyes widen as she tries to defend herself. "That's diffrent! Those are nice kisses!"

Taylor's laugh fills the room, and she leans over to kiss Everly's cheek. "What about Mommy kisses? Are those nice too?"

Everly pauses, considering this very seriously before nodding. "Mommy kisses are okay. Daddy kisses are yucky!"

"Unreal," I say, pretending to look offended. "After all I do for you, Sunshine. I bring you unicorns, I play tea party, and this is the thanks I get?"

She giggles again, wrapping her arms around my neck and pressing a wet, smacking kiss to my cheek. "Okay, Daddy kisses are nice too."

Taylor shakes her head, her smile so wide it makes my chest ache. "You're lucky she loves you."

"Luckiest guy in the world," I say, meaning every word.

We settle back onto the couch, Everly tucked between us with her unicorn and bunny. She chatters on about her tea party adventures and her plans to build an even bigger castle tomorrow, and I find myself watching the two of them, the loves of my life, and thinking about how nothing else could ever compare to this.

Taylor catches my gaze and raises an eyebrow. "What?"

"Just thinking," I say, pulling her close and pressing a kiss to her temple. "I've got it pretty good, don't I?"

She smiles, resting her head on my shoulder. "Yeah, you do."

And with Everly snuggled up between us, her little hand resting on my arm, I know she's right.

This is it, I think. My whole world. My sun, my stars, and everything in between.

HE LAUGHS AT HER EYES AT HER SMILEEEE,
AT THE GLASSES ON HER FACE
SHE LOVES HOW HE TALKS, LATE AT NIGHT,
WHEN THERE'S NOONE ELSE TO SAY

HOW SHE'S BEAUTIFUL AND FUNNY AND SMART,
LIKE NOTHING HE'S EVER SEEN, 
HE'S GOOD TO HER, SHE WANTS IT MORE,
THAN EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN ❤️

sorry i just had a little moment there (but we stan in between) xx