the stars in your eyes | t.s. one shots

easter eggs

"Okay," Andrea laughs, looking around the back patio as Taylor, Travis, Austin, and his girlfriend Sydney, stand in a line, each with an Easter basket in their hand. "No hitting, scratching, or kicking each other. No hair pulling. No spitting. Basically, no physical abuse of any kind."

"So," Austin says, a glimmer in his eye, "verbal abuse is okay?"

"I never said that," Andrea protests. "I'd prefer if you didn't. But I'd rather you call your sister a mean name than have her photographed with a black eye this weekend."

"You hurt her, I hurt you," Travis says to Austin, looking the shorter man up and down.

"And the same goes for Sydney," Austin replies, puffing his chest out and taking in a deep breath to make himself as tall as he can possibly be. He still does not look Travis Kelce in the eye. Taylor stifles a giggle unsuccessfully as she watches the two men.

"What are you laughing about, Blondie?" Austin asks turning to his sister. "You just know you're going to lose, or what?"

"Austin, enough," Andrea says, rolling her eyes. "This is an Easter egg hunt and you're a full grown man."

"Never thought I'd hear the terms 'Easter egg hunt' and 'full grown man' in the same sentence," Taylor mutters, knowing it's loud enough that her brother can hear her remark. She looks to him, scanning his face for a reaction and sees some red creep up in his cheeks, but he bites his lip, holding back his irritation upon seeing his mother's eyes shooting daggers at him.

"Anyway," Andrea says, clearing her throat and getting back the attention of her two grown children and their partners, "when I say to go, you can start collecting the eggs that the Easter Bunny hid all over the yard."

"That's Dad," Taylor whispers to Travis. "The Easter Bunny. It's Scott Swift in his pajamas first thing in the morning."

Travis laughs.

"Taylor," Andrea raises her eyebrows at her daughter. Taylor mumbles an apology and Andrea keeps talking. "There's a hundred eggs in total. After ten minutes, we will reconvene and see how many more we need to find. Then, we go back out and look for the remainder. Whoever collects the most eggs in the end wins. Any questions?" Austin's hand shoots up in the air, resulting in Andrea rolling her eyes at her younger child. "Yes, Austin?"

"What's the prize?"

"Being able to say that you beat Taylor Swift in an Easter egg hunt," Andrea retorts, watching as her daughter's jaw drops open.

"Hey!" Taylor objects. "What if I win?"

"Honey, you've got enough awards in life. You don't need a trophy from the Easter egg hunt."

Taylor's eyes widen. "God, Mom. Roast me, will you?" She pauses, then, "I'll have you know that if there was a trophy for this egg hunt, there'd be a spot on my mantle for it, right next to my latest Album of the Year."

Andrea doesn't respond, simply shaking her head at her daughter. "Are we ready to begin?"

"Let's go!" Travis says, bending his knees to prepare for a running start.

"Anywhere outside on the property is fair game. We are starting in 3... 2... 1... go!"

Andrea starts her timer and the four contestants spread out throughout the yard, Taylor instantly locking her eyes on a pink egg tucked away in a bush and making a run for it. She puts it into her basket, then turns her head, noticing an orange egg.

Travis notices the same orange egg at the same time. They both become acutely aware of the fact that the other sees the egg. Taylor starts to run first, but Travis is faster- there's no question about that. They reach the spot at the same time.