Tayvis One-Shots

the proposal

Travis's POV

The ring was burning a hole in my pocket.

Not literally, of course, but it might as well have been with how much it weighed on me. Every time I felt the small, square box shift against my thigh, my heart kicked into overdrive. I must've checked it about twenty times already, patting my pocket to make sure it was still there. And it was. Always there. Always waiting.

"Travis, are you even listening?" Taylor's voice broke through my thoughts, soft and amused. She was sitting cross-legged on the blanket across from me, her eyes sparkling in the glow of the string lights I'd hung earlier. 

The picnic I'd set up under the stars was supposed to be romantic, but all I could think about was the question I was about to ask, the question that would change everything.

"Hmm?" I asked, looking up at her, trying to mask how jittery I felt.

She tilted her head, raising an eyebrow. "You're acting weird tonight. Everything okay?"

"Yeah," I said quickly, too quickly. "Why wouldn't I be?"

She smiled, but her gaze lingered on me, studying me like she always did when she knew I wasn't telling the whole truth. It was one of the things I loved about her—the way she could see right through me. But tonight, it was making me sweat.

"Just checking," she said lightly, plucking a strawberry from the plate between us. She popped it into her mouth, and I couldn't help but stare at her for a moment. She looked so effortlessly beautiful, her hair loosely falling around her shoulders, her cheeks pink from the wine we'd been sipping.

God, I love her, I thought, my chest tightening.

I reached for my own glass of wine, taking a long sip in hopes it would settle my nerves. It didn't.

The moment felt both perfect and impossible. The night was quiet, the stars were out, and Taylor was sitting there looking at me like I hung the moon. But what if I screwed it up? What if I said the wrong thing? What if she wasn't ready?

"Travis?" Her voice was softer this time, pulling me back again.

"Yeah?" I croaked.

Her smile widened, a mix of curiosity and concern. "You sure you're okay? You're fidgeting like crazy."

I laughed nervously, rubbing the back of my neck. "I'm fine. Totally fine. Why wouldn't I be fine?"

She raised both eyebrows now, setting her glass down. "Okay, now I know something's up."

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. There was no backing out now. The moment was right here, staring me in the face, and I just had to take it.

"Actually," I said, my voice a little shaky, "there is something I wanted to talk to you about."

Taylor straightened up slightly, her expression softening. "Okay," she said, her tone encouraging.

I reached into my pocket, my hand closing around the box. For a second, I couldn't move. The words were stuck in my throat, and my heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest.

But then I looked at her, really looked at her. At the way her eyes were full of love, at the way she was waiting so patiently even though I was acting like a complete mess. And suddenly, I knew.

I knew this was the easiest decision I'd ever make.

Taking a deep breath, I pulled the box out and opened it, holding it out to her. Her eyes widened, her lips parting in surprise, and I felt my entire world tilt as I knelt down on one knee.