I'm the best thing at this party

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The tiniest sliver of bright, late morning sun made its way towards her from the crack in the curtains. She was sure she had mere minutes before finding out if the water she'd made them both chug with her last coherent brain cell before they fell asleep would save her from that light killing her.

Oh god.

She slowly turned over, hoping to delay her imminent demise. Her entire body was uncooperative. It had finally decided jet lag was on the menu—on top of whatever else awaited her when she sat up at some point.

Somewhat settled, she looked at the man before her who was still fast asleep. Even in the muted light, she could see stark bruises starting to form across his arms and side. How he'd fought a battle with the Niners defense yesterday and then somehow celebrated all across town she'll never know. Her feet chose that moment to remind her that she'd stomped her way across four stages, a football field, and the dance floor in sky-high heels in less than 5 days. So maybe they were both crazy. Maybe that is why they made sense.

Oh. She'd missed the bruise where his shoulder met his neck....wait that wasn't a bruise.

She itched to reach over and run her hand across his unruly beard until he woke up. She wanted more time with him. The clock was ticking down to this evening when he had to go back on the team plane to Kansas City, and she had to leave with her friends and family to LA for a plane to Australia. She knew she'd see him next week but still...she wanted more time. They never had enough time.

However, she wouldn't wish being awake on anyone right now.

She tried to take her mind off of it and the dull throb that was building behind her right eye by thinking about yesterday. She wasn't sure how long it would take to process the day, much less the night. She had been so nervous getting ready for the game. She'd tried to remain calm and steady in her texts to Travis throughout the day as well as in her phone call to wish him luck right before the team left for the stadium. But in reality, Blake had had to push her head between her knees and tell her to breathe in the middle of getting her hair done.

The game had been a rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish, and she was pretty sure she'd been sweating as much as the players by the end. But when Patrick threw the ball to Mecole, her eyes were on Travis slowly walking into the endzone like he knew the results even before the pass landed. And with that, she could finally breathe. They'd fucking done it, just like Patrick said they would. She was pretty sure she took out everyone's hearing with her scream as her and Travis's friends piled on top of her in celebration.

Fuck, she loved football.

The moments on the field after? She wasn't sure she'd be able to parse those without a guitar in hand and the voice memo app open. The pride she felt, the awe she felt. The fact that in the biggest moment of his life, all he could do was tell her how much he appreciated her. How did you even begin to take that all in and process it?

Don't even get her started on how to deal with him singing "You Belong with Me" at her from across a crowded party later in the night. Somewhere deep inside her, the 18-year-old girl who wrote that song was still passed out in awe.

A raspy, ruined voice came from her right, shaking her from her thoughts. "Why the fuck are you awake right now? And from the looks of it, thinking too hard."

She reached for him then, finally free to get her hands on his face. To sink into his side and just feel him next to her.

"Ugh, my brain decided to choose jet lag and now I'm wide awake. I'm trying to distract myself though."

"Whatcha thinking about?" he asked, kissing the top of her head. She could tell he wasn't fairing much better in how he felt.

"Last night, yesterday, everything."

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