Then You Came in Wearing a Football Helmet

9

Travis's POV

The weekend I spent with Taylor was the best time of my life. It had been a week since, I texted her good morning every day and we called every night, even if we could only talk for a few minutes. I had told Jason about us but made him promise not to tell anyone. I had talked to her recently and she picked up on my closeness with Pat and asked me if I had told him about us, I had said no, because I wasn't sure how private she wants our relationship but she just laughed and told me she trusted my judgment. Throughout our time together I could help but notice how surprised she seemed by the small things my mom had drilled into my head as a kid. 

"Hey Trav" I was having Pat over for drinks "Sup man". We grabbed beer and headed outside to watch some tapes outside on my TV, we were talking about the impending season but I decided to change the subject to our personal lives. "How's the wife and kids?" "I have a 2 year old and an infant how do you think that's going?" I chuckled and took a sip of beer "well I asked didn't I?" He sighed "Yup, what about you?" I must have smiled like I always do when I think of her because he put down his glass and looked over at me "oh, so there is someone, please, tell me more" he tried to keep a straight face as he propped his face in his hands. I rolled my eyes at him "forget it man your a jerk" I lightly punched him in the shoulder and turned to grab another beer. "Woah, wait, come on you can't smile like a bafoon then not tell me who you're seeing" he grabbed my shoulder and tried to pull me back. I relented and turned to him "Fine, I'm seeing this woman, she's smart and funny and brilliant, I could really see her being my forever"  he raised an eyebrow at me "Really Trav, who the hell are you talking about" I smiled just thinking about her "her name is Taylor", he gestured at me to continue "Taylor what?", I gave him a challenging glare "Swift".

He didn't believe me and I didn't push the subject. We decided to do random shit after this, we ate some BBQ, played a game of pool, and then went back to watching game tapes. 

About 10 o'clock I heard my phone ring, I glanced at the screen to see a picture of Taylor I took during our breakfast eat off of her stuffing her face with toast. I forgot Patrick was there and absentmindedly answered the face time.

"Travy" her face was bright red, she had a lazy grin on her face and it was apparent that she was drunk. "Hey Sunshine, how was your day?", got lost in a fit of giggling "Donst tell Taylor this, but I like it when you call me that" I tried to stifle a laugh "okay, I'll keep it just between the two of us" She gave me a thumbs up, but then dropped her phone. She quickly retrieved it and when she looked at me she started to wave, I looked over my shoulder to see Pat looking over my shoulder between me and my phone, "dude, that's Taylor Swift" I rolled my eyes, Pat was drunk too.

I called Pat a car, while we waited I let the two drunken adults talk to each other, much to my amusement. There conversation revolved around Taylor introducing Pat to her cats and Pat talking about his dogs, just as they began to argue about whether dogs or cats were better the car came and Patrick left.

I finally was able to give all of my attention the drunk blonde on my phone, she was giggling non stop and playing with the filters in her phone. I just watched her for a while, she was so cute and I could watch her drunken antics for hours but she eventually noticed me staring. "Travy!, how was yours day?", I couldn't help smile that the most articulate person I know was slurring her words, "My day was great, what about yours Sweetheart?"she opened her mouth in outrage "heeeyyyys, I'm sunshine not sweetheart" she gagged at the last word and I started to laughing "whatever you say, will you tell me about your day now?" She laughed and rolled around on her bed and I was dying to know where she got this drunk "Welllllllllllllllll" she held the first word for about two breaths "When I woke up this really cute guys texted me good morning and that made me smile," I raised an eyebrow with a coy smile on my face "oh really, who was this" she clutched her tummy and rolled around in laughter "It was you silly" I smiled at her watching her face break out in a  shit eating grin. "Anyway, after that  I wet to dinner with Blake and Ryan, but Travy, can I tell you a secret" she whispered and looked around putting her hand on the side of her mouth "I wished you were there". I blushed despite myself and laughed a little, "I wish you were here a lot too"  she gave me an opened mouth smile and scrunched up her face "Thank you, aww your the sweetest boyfriend I've ever had." I was frozen for a momen, I hadn't found the courage to ask her to be my girlfriend, yet this incredible woman was just drunkenly making all my fears seem childish "Oh well you can get used to it Tay cause I'm not going anywhere" "promise?". 

It was times like these when my heart just breaks as I wonder how the hell someone as kind and beautiful as her could expect so little in a relationship "Tay I double pinky promise, I want nothing more than to see you smile and maybe win another Super Bowl, but your smile is definitely first on that list. She let out a big yawn " Whoah there sleepyhead I think it's time for you to hit the hay". She made a face "I don't want you to leave"she made a pouty face and I was smitten, I don't know what smitten means but it feels like the right word. "I'll stay here till you fall asleep, deal?" She thought for a moment before agreeing.

I propped my phone in my pillow and she did the same and fell asleep listening to her breathing.

I woke up about 1am to use the bathroom, I noticed our call was still going and after a moment of enjoying her light snores and slight mumbling I found myself wishing more than anything I could reach over and move the hair out of her face but I ended the call when I saw my phone battery at 4. 

I went back to sleep but woke up to the sound of a phone ringing. I groaned, for a second I thought I was missing practice but looking at the clock I saw I still had 29 minutes before my alarm was supposed to go off. I looked around for my phone and answered it without checking the caller id. 

"WHAT DID I DO".