the stars in your eyes | t.s. one shots

bagels and barbecue

i guess this is sort of a part 2 to 'first dates suck' which i wrote months ago but this was also really just inspired by how badly i want a new york bagel and also the cheesy corn i had in kc like 6 years ago that i've thought about at least once a week since <3

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Travis is in line at the bagel shop when he texts Jason. It's a simple text, short and sweet, but says everything that he needs to say. He's not batting around the bush with this one.

Travis: Dude. I went out with this girl last night and I swear I'm gonna marry her. I'll call you later and tell you about it.

The reply comes through almost instantly.

Jason: You're ridiculous. But I'm free all day if you want to talk.

Travis laughs. Typical Jason. That's just about exactly what he was sure that his brother would say... but it doesn't matter. He knows what he's feeling, and he knows that he's never felt this way before. Not about any girl- and especially not after a first date.

He walks out of the shop with a smile on his face and a dozen bagels in a brown paper bag clasped in his hand. He didn't know what Taylor's go-to order was, so he just got a whole bunch of different kinds with a couple tubs of cream cheese- plain, strawberry, and scallion. When he gets back to her apartment and slings the bag on the marble countertop of her kitchen island, Taylor can't help but laugh. "We really don't need that many bagels, Trav. There's only two of us."

She's still in her pajamas- a little cropped tank top and pink boxer shorts. Her hair is pulled up into a ponytail and her skin is damp from having just splashed some water on her face.

"We have options this way, babe." He grins at her, pulling the cream cheeses out of the bag and setting it on the counter. "There's plain, cinnamon raisin, everything... oh, there's there's really fucking cool-looking rainbow bagels."

Taylor laughs. "You don't spend a lot of time in New York, do ya?" She pulls her hair out of her face before leaning over to look into the bag. "I think only tourists ever get those. I'm pretty sure they're literally just plain bagels with food coloring."

He gives her a sheepish grin. "You've got me. But... I'm gonna try it anyway, just so I can say I did."

"Use the strawberry cream cheese," she giggles, turning around to pull a knife out of the block on the counter. "And... give me a bite. I've never actually tried one."

She hands over the knife and he starts to slice the bagel. It's only their first morning spent together, the night after their first date, but it all feels so right. So normal and routine... Taylor sits down on a barstool and smiles, pulling a bagel out of the bag and picking up the knife from where Travis has laid it on the counter. Across her eyelids flashes a vision of many more mornings that look just like this. A warm feeling sinks into her stomach as anticipation spreads through her limbs.

He takes a bite of his rainbow bagel after loading it up with strawberry cream cheese just like she suggested. "Damn, that's good." He holds it out. "Come on. Give it a try."

Travis was expecting Taylor to take the bagel out of his hand, but instead, she just takes a bite right out of it as he holds it, a giggle crossing over her lips as she does so. "Oh my god. That is good."

After they've sufficiently stuffed themselves with bagels- and had a good laugh at how many leftovers they have now- they go and snuggle up on the sofa to see what's on TV. The golden glow of late summer sunlight drifts in through the window, hitting their skin with a warmth as they flip through channels, trying to find something worth their time and attention. Their morning is slow and mundane, but filled with conversation and giggles and chaste kisses that all make it perfect.