TNT Short Fics

We'll be rocking 'til the sun goes down - Part 3

Taylor wiggles her toes against the cool sheets, feeling herself start to drift off. Rubbing her cheek against Travis's shoulder, she decides they definitely have time for a quick nap before they need to get up and get ready for dinner.

The sound of her boyfriend's laugh rings out above her, and she tilts her head to see him grinning at his phone. He'd grabbed it when he went to get her water, and it had been pinging with texts ever since.

"Someone sending you clips of the Bengals losing, babe?" she murmurs into his skin.

"Nah," he says, dipping down to kiss her hair. "I'm laughing at us."

"What?" she asks, raising her head slightly.

He hands her his phone and says, "Jason just sent me these from the US Open Instagram."

She thumbs the phone, waiting for it to recognize her face, and it opens to a paused video with them on the screen. Pressing play, she watches a moment from earlier that day when the pull of one of her favorite songs was too strong, and she'd started singing along. Travis had caught her, and with a grin, he'd joined in.

They've sung countless times over the year they've been together. Often silly and fun like today. Sometimes sweet and sincere, like the first time they sang in the London garden. And other times, it's just the quiet pleasure of two people who love music, singing along in the car, while making dinner, or getting ready to go out.

She lets the reel play again, watching their impromptu "performance," seeing what others see: two people in love, so comfortable with each other they don't even notice the world watching. For a moment, she reflects on how different things feel now compared to before.

There was a time when things felt anything but comfortable. Her mind drifts back to a summer evening a few years ago. She's sitting at a restaurant patio with Joe. He was scrolling through his phone, barely engaging with her when she'd quietly started singing along to a song playing faintly overhead.

"Do you have to do that?" he'd said, eyes darting around to see if people were watching. The subtle shake of his head had been enough to silence her for the rest of the night. Had added a turn of the lock of the cell she had been slowly realizing she was in.

She feels a wave of gratitude as she looks back at the screen—at her and Travis, singing without a care in the world.

With Travis, none of that matters. They're just... themselves. It's freeing in a way she never expected.

She could get caught up in the fact that she spent years with people who cared about appearances and others' opinions on their levels of public affection. But instead, she chooses to stay in this moment. What matters is the happiness playing out before her now—the connection, the warmth, the love that pours out of them both.

Life with Travis is anything but predictable. He brings energy into everything they do, turning even the simplest moments into something memorable. Sure, he has his off days (he's a bear if he doesn't get enough sleep), but for the most part, his positivity radiates, filling the spaces in her life she didn't realize had been empty.

It's not just his light that's changed things—it's what he's helped her rediscover in herself. She feels more open, more willing to let her guard down, and experience joy without hesitation. And for the first time in years, she feels like the truest version of herself. Not the person she was five or ten years ago, or even before last year. No, this is something new—something she didn't know she could be.

And it feels like magic.

She runs her thumb across their happy faces. What had Este called them at lunch when they'd gotten animated, telling the story of that ridiculous night in the Dublin bar?

"Dorks in love."

She smiles, thinking about how proud she is to wear that label. She's been the tortured poet for long enough, worn that identity like an ill-fitting dress. But this new life? It fits perfectly, like something tailor-made just for her.

"We're fucking cute," she says simply. She doesn't have to explain to him how the video makes her feel; she knows he already feels it too.

She hands the phone back and tucks her face into his shoulder, getting comfortable. The nap still sounds like a great idea. She watches him hit the "like" button before setting the phone aside. He turns, trying not to jostle her, and pulls the blanket up to their shoulders. Now they're nose to nose, and she can't help but kiss him on his before pulling back to just look at him. He smiles and closes his eyes. As she closes hers, she hears the faint hum of the song they sang earlier, and without opening her eyes, she joins in for one last chorus.

I believe in a thing called love
Just listen to the rhythm of my heart
There's a chance we could make it now

The last thing she hears before falling asleep is:

We'll be rocking 'til the sun goes down.
I believe in a thing called love

AN: Sorry this took so long. AO3 had a bug and I couldn't post there so I waited. Should be all good to go now. And hey, I'm on AO3 if you didn't know. 

Fun fact: if you've never watched the music video for I Believe in a Think Called Love you are so missing out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKjZuykKY1I.