new romantics - taylor swift and travis kelce

dogs and strawberries

A/N longer chapters but less frequent updates, or keep them the same length and update as often as I do now?

-Taylors Pov-

"Mommy, can the monsters get us here?" Thea asks as I tuck her into one of the queen beds in one of Travis's guest rooms. I'm straight across the hall from her just in case she needs me during the night.

"no monster will ever hurt us again" It sends daggers to my heart that she can remember everything that went down. I wish she would forget and retain her innocence. She will sometimes ask about the monsters like monsters are real, but to her they are. To her, he is a monster. He earned that title.

"Travis is nice. I like him, mommy. Can we keep him?" she jawns and I tuck her in tighter and kiss her forehead. "I like him too and I hope we can keep him" I chuckle.

"sleep tight sweetheart" I turn off the lights and carefully close the door behind me.

I wish with every inch of my being that she will be able to move past the monsters that sometimes haunt her dreams. That she will be able to move past what he did.

Travis is waiting for me with glasses of wine in the living room. I take a seat and tuck my legs up under me before taking a sip of my glass. "did she go down okay?" he asks, and I nod. "yeah, she is used to sleeping in new places. Usually, she is out like a light quickly."

Thankfully she is easy to travel with. Doesn't have issues with the jet and can sleep anywhere. She has always been like that, easy, and adaptable.

"I'm glad you decided to stay" he smiles at me, and I somehow end up blushing "I'm glad I stayed too."

There is a moment of silence where our eyes stay interlocked. I don't want to blink because I want to stay lost in those glittering eyes. They are so warm and inviting, like an open invitation to come closer. I wouldn't mind getting lost there forever, it sends a comforting chill down my spine.

"so I don't want to ruin the mood, but I have to ask. Where is her dad?" he asks and the good mood immediately sour. I break away from his intense gaze and look everywhere instead of at him. Some part of me knew this conversation would come up eventually, I just had a wishful thought that I could escape it somehow. Talking about him isn't something I'm fond of doing, it hurts too much.

"it doesn't matter. he isn't in the picture anymore" I try to blow it off as nothing, as something he doesn't need to be concerned about. I like Travis but I'm not ready to open this can of worms. It hurts to talk about, the things I would rather forget.

"I'm just asking because I genuinely want to know everything there is about you two, and I want to know if there is another man in the picture. A man you might not be over" he says and with that last comment my head jerks in his direction.

"I said he isn't in the picture Travis. And he isn't someone I particularly like talking about, I would rather leave that in the past" I tell him honestly, and hope to god that he will let it drop.

"so you have sole custody?" he asks, and I sigh but nod. "yes, now drop this" I beg him. Sole custody, Not that he even bothered to show up at court when I asked for it, so the judge gave it to me on default. That's how I got to take Thea out of the country without notifying her father, he doesn't have a say anymore. As far as I'm concerned, he can be left in the past where he belongs.

"I don't want to pry, sorry If I am. I just have all these questions about the situation" he says and takes my hand with the one that isn't holding the glass of wine. "it doesn't matter who he is because he isn't in the picture anymore. Don't worry about him, I don't."

Well, that's not entirely true. I do worry about him quite often, worry that he will come back into our lives. I hope I'm wrong, I hope he stays away, but I don't know for sure. So far, he hasn't reached out in months, I know because I haven't blocked his number because of Thea. I'm still in vague contact with his parents and brother, vague as in I send pictures of Thea when they ask how she is doing. They are her grandparents and uncles; I don't want to completely cut them off just because her father is an asshole.

I'm an open book on most things, just not Thea's dad. I took all those broken pieces, put them in a drawer, and locked it. it's best this way, it's what keeps me sane. Some things are better left in the past, he is one of them. I don't even utter his name if I can help it, it's a protective blanket I keep around me, it helps me keep him out of my mind. If I let myself think back, I crumble, so I would rather stay in the present, focused on the future.

"Okay. Just know you can talk about It if you ever want to. But I can tell it's too much right now" he says, and I take a deep breath, thankful that this is over. I don't want to ruin a good night with a trip down memory lane. A trip I would rather take over my dead body.

**The next morning**

-Travis Pov-

I slide out of bed and throw on a shirt. Normally I would just walk around shirtless in the mornings, but there is a child In the house. I don't want to scare the kid, not that a naked chest is all that scary but still.

Walking down the stairs I go around the first floor and turn on the lights before heading to the kitchen. Since I'm the first one up I might as well make breakfast for us. Looking at the clock I'm not sure I should start on the hot parts quite yet, just in case they are the kind of people that sleep in late, so I start on a fruit salad.

I didn't get the answers last night I was hoping for regarding Thea's dad. It's not that I feel like anyone owes me the answers, because they really don't. In all honesty, it's none of my business what came before me, but I would like to know if she wants to tell me. I'm not going to push it anymore or bring it up anymore, because now she knows I want to know, and I leave the ball In her court.

There is a faint pitter-patter coming closer and growing louder before Thea pokes her head into the kitchen. She is in her cat pajamas and with her Elsa plushy tucked against her chest. "good morning, Thea" I greet her with a smile.

The girl isn't really the hesitant type, so she skips further into the room with a big sleepy smile. "good morning, Travis. I couldn't sleep anymore."

"that's okay. Do you want to help me make breakfast? I could use a helper" I suggest, and she smiles and nods her approval. I go into the pantry and get out the step stool I keep around for my nieces whenever they are around. Wyatt loves to help cook, even though it's limited in how helpful she is at almost four years old.

I give her a kid-safe knife and strawberries I already washed for her to cut up. That should be easy enough while I decide to start on the hot parts since she is up. We can wake Taylor when things are ready.

"I have an important question for you Thea," I say, and the girl perks up before looking expectingly at me "How do you feel about dogs?" I ask and she giggles.

"Mommy has kitties. Three of them. But Grandma Andrea has a big dog. Kitty is tall. I like both. Why?" she says.

"Because I have two dogs. They stayed at my friend's house last night because I didn't know if you were scared of dogs or not. But do you think it's okay if they come back today?" I ask her. I don't want her to be scared off by my dogs, because they are a decent size. But she did say that her grandma has a big dog. I don't know if the dog is just big in her eyes or actually big, but that doesn't matter really.

"do I get to pet them?" she crocks her head to the side, and I chuckle "Of course you get to pet them. Even give them treats if they are being good" I barging with her and she grins. "okay then"

I have two dogs, ramboo and Chauncey. They are a decent size but not too big. I didn't tell Ross why I needed him to keep my dogs yesterday, but my buddy did it anyway. I told him that I would tell him when there was something to tell. Of course, he made some comment about me having a lady friend, but I didn't answer that one. I'm taking things at Taylor's speed and respecting her wish to keep Thea a secret for as long as possible.

"then they will be here when you get back from seeing all the animals at the zoo" I decide, and she does a little dance but is careful not to wiggle the stool. I step up and stay ready to catch her just in case, but she settles back to cutting the strawberries.

I think this kid and I are going to be great buddies.