new romantics - taylor swift and travis kelce

might not be mine to keep

A/n if anyone have any ideas for the story let me know.

-Taylors Pov-

"Mommy!"

I pull away from Travis and put some distance between us before my daughter comes into view. "hi sweetie, what are you doing out of bed? it's late" I stand up, ignoring the shocked look on Travis's face, and head over to my daughter.

"I had a bad dream Mommy" she pouts as she stands there in her Elsa pajamas and with her Elsa plushie dangling from her hand. We are big Elsa fans in this house, and I get major street cred with my daughter for knowing "the real Elsa" aka Idina Menzel.

"do you want to go lay down in mommy's bed? I'll be up a while longer, but you can go to sleep there?" I suggest but she furrows her little eyebrows and looks around me, straight at Travis who still looks like he is in shock.

"Who are you?" my little girl asks Travis who gives my daughter a shaky smile while his eyes still show panic, not enough that my little girl sees it though.

"I'm Travis. Your mom's... friend. it's nice to meet you" he politely says, and she looks between us for a second. "okay. I'm Dorthea, but everyone calls me Thea." Her smile is beaming from meeting someone new. She doesn't get to meet new people often as I keep her out of the spotlight.

"do you like Elsa?" she asks like that is the most important question in the world. For her it probably is. He manages to smile at her again "I sure do, my nieces love her so I've watched the movies with them" he says calmly but I can see he is tense.

"let me follow you back upstairs Thea, it's late" I don't want their first meeting to be too long, just in case Travis wants to bolt. I understand if this is too much for him, and I didn't mean for them to meet anytime soon. I protect my daughter at all costs, and I make sure that anyone I bring around her can be trusted. I don't think Travis is the kind of person who would betray me, but I don't know him that well yet.

I take her little hand In mine and quickly tuck her into my bed. "Mommy, why is there a new friend here? does he want to play with me?" a sleepy Thea asks me as I tuck her into the side of the bed I don't sleep on.

"Because I want to get to know him. And maybe someday, not tonight though, it's late" I won't promise her that he will stick around and play with her when I don't even know if he will bolt at any second now. dating is one thing, but dating someone with a kid is a whole new ballgame, and I know that. I won't blame him if this is too much for him, it would be for many.

I kiss her forehead and say goodnight again before going back downstairs to Travis. He is in the same spot as he was when Thea came downstairs, seemingly frozen for a moment. Taking a deep breath I sit back down on the couch and wait for the inevitable rejection. This is probably too much for him, and I wouldn't blame him for that. but my daughter and I are a package deal, I don't come without her.

"Taylor, what's going on? I'm confused. You didn't tell me you have a daughter" he says and rubs his hands down his face.

I bite my lip "Thea is my everything. But I keep her out of the limelight. Very few people even know she exists. I'm not naïve and think I will be able to keep it a secret forever, but I'm damn sure going to try for her sake. But I get it if this is too much for you, I don't blame you if you want to walk away. You didn't ask for this. I'm sort of sorry for not telling you before, but I'm protective so I'm not actually sorry" I will go through fire to protect Thea, especially after everything we have been through together. she deserves all and any protection I can give her, I owe her that much.

He looks deep in thought like his mind is racing a million miles a minute. It's probably a lot to wrap his mind around, so I sit in silence until he is ready to say something. "I'm caught off guard. I don't know what to think. I just... I get why you didn't tell me, you are a protective mom, I'm just in shock. I wasn't expecting this at all."

I'm just waiting for him to tell me that this is too much for him, that he wants to walk away. It will hurt but I don't come without her.

"as I said, I get it if it's too much" I shrug like it's not a big deal but I'm really struggling to keep it together. Travis seems like a good guy, someone I really want to get to know better, but my situation is complicated. Not everyone will want to be with someone with a kid, and if I'm honest I don't want to start something with someone who can't accept Thea. She will always come before anyone or anything else.

"how old is she?" he asks. "six years old and a few months. She was born in spring 2017" the real reason why I went into hiding that year. I didn't want anyone to know I was pregnant; the world is a cruel place, and I didn't want to expose her to that.

I don't want to lose Travis before we even have a shot at starting something, but I'm not going to force it either. If this isn't something he is able to handle, to wrap his mind around, that just has to be okay. It's always going to be like this for me with anyone new I bring into my life. it's complicated, to say the least.

"I just... no matter what you think right now, and no matter if you want to walk away, please don't tell anyone. I've done everything I can to keep her hidden and will for as long as possible. She doesn't really get introduced to new people, and I didn't mean for you two to meet today" I beg him. I'm not ready for her existence to make it into the public yet, and I probably never will be.

"you were planning on starting something without telling me you have a kid? Like that wouldn't be a factor?" he seems offended, and I get it. it is a shitty thing to do, but I do it for the right reason. I will do shitty things if it means that I keep her safe.

"yes," I tell him honestly "Please understand that I will do anything to protect her. Even keep her hidden"

"I don't want to lie. It's a lot to wrap my head around right now. but I know you two are a package deal, and I'm not scared. Not too much at least. I'm good with kids, I like kids. it's just a lot" he says and I long for how it was before she came downstairs, when things were easier. He will forever look at me differently now, it's impossible not to. I'm not who he thought I was, who he expected me to be, or who he has gotten to know so far. There is a whole different side of me that he didn't ask for and I won't force on him.

"we are. And I get that not everyone can accept that, can accept her. But she is my whole life, and I don't want to be with someone who can't accept her. We are just getting to know each other right now, but I need to make it clear that she isn't going anywhere. I you want to get to know me better she is a part of that, I won't push her away in favor of a guy. She deserves more than that" I might seem harsh, but it's the truth. I don't want him to think that I will put anyone else before her because she will always come first.

"she is your daughter, of course, she will always come first. That's how it's supposed to be for parents. It certainly always was for my parents. I'm not saying I don't want to try this with you, I'm just trying to wrap my mind around it and find my way in, not my way out" he says, and I fiddle with my fingers.

He says he wants a way in, but can he really mean that? most people would be halfway out the door already. It would hurt, but I would rather he walk away now before I'm more invested, it would hurt less. And it would mean I wouldn't introduce someone to my daughter who would walk out of our lives like he hadn't ever met her.

"I don't want you to answer today, I want you to really think about it. this isn't something to decide easily, it's a lot to wrap your head around and I respect that. take some time and figure out if you can be in this or not. But please don't string me along, don't string us along, if you don't think this would work for you" I say and let my eyes fall from his, breaking the intense eye contact we have had for the last few minutes.

There is a heaviness that settles over us, the possibility that this is over before we even get to really see where it could go. He might not be mine to keep.