the secret of us

by thekatinthehat

Summary:

“No one wants me to go to Worcester, and neither of our salaries alone can really afford a good apartment like this.” He gestures to their apartment; a modest two-bedroom in Fenway-Kenmore that’s been home for two years. “It might be our best option.”

--
or: the one where travis and katie get married to save him from transferring and maybe get around to confessing while they're at it

Notes:

title from gracie abrams's "us." ft. taylor swift!

this fic has been one in my wips since literally july of 2024 and i'm so excited to finally release it to you all just a little bit at a time :) if you know me i've been in the marriage of convenience trenches for a hot second so i'm very invested in how this story will turn out for you all <3

Chapter 1: april

  “Okay, I have a dumb idea.” 

  Katie rolls her eyes as Travis slides onto the couch beside her, picking up her feet from where she’s stretched out and dropping them on his lap. “What other ideas can you possibly have? We’ve been at this for hours. And besides, all your ideas are dumb.” 

  “Hear me out,” Travis says, raising his hand up to make a stopping gesture as if she’s going to refute him before he begins. “What if we just get married?” 

  “Funny.” Katie rolls her eyes again. “That’s not going to keep you from being transferred again.” 

  Travis holds a hand up as he moves slightly to face her. “Listen, Kates. No one wants me to be transferred anyway. You’ll benefit as much as I do from this.” 

  “Explain your dumb idea, then,” Katie sighs, gesturing for him to continue as she takes a sip of her tea. It’s gone bitter and cold now from how long it’s taken them to actually figure out Travis’s situation. 

  “Look, if we get married, they can’t really move me around. Especially since you have a three-year teaching contract. We’re already living together, and we can use that to our advantage.” Travis pats Katie’s knee excitedly as he starts to ramble more. “No one wants me to go to Worcester, and neither of our salaries alone can really afford a good apartment like this.” He gestures to their apartment; a modest two-bedroom in Fenway-Kenmore that’s been home for two years. “It might be our best option.” 

  Katie bites her lip. “Won’t the station find it suspicious?” 

  Travis shrugs. “Well, I haven’t been given the official transfer yet. Luke just gave me a heads up. I’m probably gonna be sitting down in a boring corporate office in a month or so and getting the official notice. So the sooner we go to City Hall, the better. It’s better if I’m not conveniently married the week before I’m pulled into that conversation.” 

 A soft hmm escapes Katie’s lips as she thinks of the repercussions. “Are people going to really believe us? Just because we’re two single people living together doesn’t mean we’re going to develop feelings.” 

  “What if we find other people?” Katie muses, though the idea of it in and of itself seems farfetched as is. 

  Travis shrugs. “We’ll figure that out when it happens.” He leans back as he finally finishes his pitch. “So, what do you think? Dumb idea?”  

  Katie lets the suggestion exist in her mind for a moment. Obviously she isn’t going to become delusional about the prospect of marrying Travis, but she has been in love with him for a while now. She’s not sure when, but it happened one night when she realized it and spiraled into a spontaneous late night drive to her grandma’s house in Delaware to ponder the implications of her feelings. This is the worst idea he’s ever had, but the best idea at the same time. Their friends are annoying and it would be oh so fun to mess with them, even if it’s going to involve some legal action. 

  Besides, Travis has had worse ideas. 

  When she comes to her rash decision, Travis is still watching her nervously. 

  “I know, it’s a dumb idea. That’s why you can feel free to just-” 

  “Okay.” 

  Travis blinks. “What?” 

  Katie shrugs. “I’d prefer it if you asked me officially, but this is fun too.” 

  “Wait, seriously?” Travis asks. “It was just a dumb idea, Kates, you don’t have to-” 

  “Do you want me to take it back? Because I will,” Katie says. She raises an eyebrow to make a point, and he shuts up. 

  Travis exhales in disbelief as he nods, running his hand through his hair. “Nothing’s gonna change, right?” 

  “No, it won’t,” Katie concedes. The twinge in her heart stings at that, but she shrugs it off as nervousness.   “Do you think our friends are going to laugh or cry when they find out about this?” she asks, rubbing her forehead with her fingers. They’ve all been friends since college, meeting through a series of intertwined relationships and the growth of friend groups. Katie was roommates with Annabeth freshman year, who started dating Percy. With Percy came his best friend-slash-police officer rookie Jason, and when Jason started dating Katie’s philosophy partner Piper, the group started to expand. 

  Connor, who was a sophomore at the time, was the barista at the coffee shop the group frequented, and his older brother Travis happened to be Percy’s firefighter gym buddy. Long story short, the entire group has stuck together for the past seven years, all the way into adulthood in Boston. 

  As Katie and Travis immediately found a snippy relationship between the two and their contrasting personalities, the group decided it was their mission to set the two up, even if it was subtle. It didn’t help that the two moved in together two years ago, after Travis was transferred to a station that happened to be a three minute drive away from the elementary school Katie taught at. 

  “Up for grabs, honestly. We probably shouldn’t tell them, right?” Their friends have always been meddlers, extremely when it comes to them. 

  Katie nods immediately. “Yeah, we’re never telling them unless absolutely necessary. When are we doing this?” 

  “My 96 just started, so I’m free whenever,” Travis starts. “If we want to do this ASAP, maybe we should do it tomorrow. I’ll pick you up from work.” Travis taps his thumb on Katie’s ankles, one habit she notices is one of his nervous ticks. 

  “Okay,” Katie exhales, fighting the grin on her face from forming. “You owe me big time, by the way.” 

  Travis chuckles. “You can use this as leverage for anything, trust me.” 

  Katie purses her lips. “I was thinking more like you do all the household chores for a year, but that works too.” She laughs. “Let’s get married.” 

  She holds her hand out, and Travis reaches back out to shake on it. 

---

Travis
[12:02pm] how’s my beautiful fiancée doing this fine afternoon? 

Katie
[12:05pm] same as usual
[12:05pm] fourth graders being fourth graders again
[12:05pm] but at least most of them remembered to capitalize their i’s today
[12:06pm] yes, i see the irony in that message 

Travis
[12:06pm] nice and quiet lunch break today?
[12:06pm] i’m very grateful for the leftovers, by the way
[12:06pm] the pesto salmon you made 
[12:07pm] i can bathe in it
[12:07pm] i think 

Katie
[12:07pm] lmaooo
[12:07pm] yes i’m alone and it’s so peaceful
[12:07pm] i do have to meet with the principal in a few though
[12:08pm] classroom updates and all
[12:08pm] did you talk to the chief yet? 

Travis
[12:08pm] not yet
[12:08pm] gotta find a time to but probably not over text 
[12:08pm] not sure he’s gonna be pleased if he found out about me getting married from new paperwork
[12:08pm] wait fuck i forgot i had lunch plans w will 

Katie
[12:09pm] he’s off today? 

Travis
[12:09pm] yeah
[12:09pm] i’ll hurry out the door now
[12:09pm] text you later darling

Katie
[12:10pm] stay safe honey! 

---

  Travis is leaning against the driver’s door of his Altima when Katie walks out of the school building. “Hey,” she greets him, as she gets closer. The staff parking lot isn’t empty yet, so she has to maneuver around a few cars before she makes it to where he parked. Katie usually takes the bus to work when Travis picks her up, so they don’t deal with two cars in one spot. Besides, it gives her the chance to reply to last minute emails while she takes the half-hour commute. 

  “You ready to change the world?” Travis asks, pushing himself off of the car to come around to Katie’s side of the car and open the door for her. “Looking stunning as always, by the way.” 

  Katie blushes as she looks down at the sage green dress she chose for today. It falls to her ankles, and she has a sweater on top of it so it’s teacher-friendly. She’s going to take it off as soon as she’s in the car, though. The neckline and sleeves on this dress are too pretty to not wear for her wedding, even if it’s partly a sham. “Thank you, hon.” She slides into her seat as Travis closes the door and goes over to get to his side of the car. 

  “Any stops before we make it to City Hall?” Travis asks, revving up the engine. He adjusts the rearview mirror and reverses slowly, making it out of the parking lot before he speaks again. “Food, coffee?” 

  “Nope,” Katie says. “You have all your documents?”   

  “Yeah,” Travis replies, turning onto the street. He glides into traffic easily, and Katie braces for the ten minute drive to City Hall. 

---

  “Do you, Kaitlin Cassandra Gardner, take Travis Robert Stoll to be your lawfully wedded husband?” 

  Katie looks at Travis, smiling as her hands are starting to sweat. She looks down at the wedding ring on her finger; it’s gold and dainty just like she’s always wanted. Across from her, Travis has a thicker band; but one nevertheless. Both of the rings were Travis’s pick, apparently found during his last minute run to downtown during the day. This cannot be real life. Katie’s imagined marrying Travis a handful of times, but this has never been the circumstances. Beside them, the judge looks absolutely ecstatic at their union. “I do.” 

  “Wonderful. And do you, Travis Robert Stoll, take Kaitlin Cassandra Gardner to be your lawfully wedded wife?” 

  “‘Til death do us part,” Travis says, grinning at Katie. She’s not sure if it’s due to learning her full name, or if it’s because his plan is coming to fruition. 

  The judge smiles. “Well, by the power vested in me in the state of Massachusetts, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.” 

   Oh, shit. Katie forgot about this part. Either way, it doesn’t stop Travis from reaching forward and dipping her as his lips meet hers briefly. It’s not their first kiss, but Katie would like to think it is. Previously repressed memories surface slowly, and Katie’s grateful he lets go of her after a chaste second so she doesn’t have to relive it. 

  When they part, the judge looks at them with the same warm smile on her face. “Congratulations, you two. Now final steps: signing right here. We’ll have you all processed within the week.” 

  Katie steps closer to the podium, reaching for the extended pen and hovering above the line before taking a deep breath. This is fucking real. She signs the contract, and looks over at Travis, offering him the pen. When he does the same and looks up at her again, she can’t help but laugh nervously. “We’re married,” she exhales. 

  “We are,” Travis says, laughing as he wraps an arm around her shoulders. “Thank you, Your Honor,” he says, looking at the judge. 

  She’s still smiling at them when she collects the papers. “Of course. Congratulations once again.”

---

  “Well, what are we doing for dinner, Mrs. Stoll?” 

  Katie rolls her eyes as she gets into the passenger seat of the car, tugging her cardigan around her shoulders. It may be April, but it is eight in the evening in Boston, and the breeze has kicked in with the night sky. “For the record, I’m keeping my last name. And I was thinking we just stay in and make some pasta?” 

   “Yes, please,” Travis replies, revving up the engine of the car as he backs out of City Hall. “So, you regretting this yet?” 

  “Ask me again and I’ll say yes,” Katie retorts, still trying to slow her racing heart as she slides the window open and hangs her hand out the side of it casually. The air whips between her fingers and hair as she glances out at the cityscape. “Is it a wine kind of night?” 

  Travis pulls up to a stop at the red light. “Oh, it’s a champagne kind of night,” he responds, reaching over and tapping at the ring on Katie’s left finger. “We’re gonna have to figure out something to do with these.” 

  “I mean, I don’t plan on wearing it that often if we’re not actually married.” 

  “We are,” Travis points out. He holds up the manila folder of legal documents to prove it, and Katie rolls her eyes. 

  “You know what I mean.” 

  Travis nods, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. “I can’t exactly wear a ring at work, anyway.” 

  “True,” Katie responds. “And less questions asked from our friends, since no one’s gonna find out.” 

  “Exactly. The less who know, the less messy,” Travis responds, turning onto their street. He enters the parking garage, entering their designated parking spot as he continues speaking. “At my station, we wear rings around chains.” 

  “Hm. You still want to wear the rings?” 

  Travis shrugs as he parks and climbs out of the car, looping around quickly to open the door for Katie. “Proof in case the station has any questions. And I’ll look hotter, trust me.” 

  Katie rolls her eyes as she hops out of the car with her bag. “Whatever.” They make their way to the lobby under the parking garage, and wait for an elevator to their floor. “Hey, Nat,” she calls to their receptionist, who waves with a friendly smile. Turning back to Travis, she falters slightly as he crosses his arms over the short-sleeved button down he has on, flexing his muscles through his shirt. 

  She knows he works out, especially since he’s been a firefighter for seven years now; ever since he graduated high school and entered the academy with nothing more than experience in lacrosse. However, he’s gotten leaner since joining the force, and given his introduction into the friend group as Percy’s co-gym rat, it’s a no-brainer that he’s more muscle than anything. 

  (Pool and beach days are a struggle for Katie, who’s never been used to averting her gaze.) 

  “I, uh,” she starts, as the elevator doors slide open and they step in. She reaches over to press the button to the eighth floor. “I’ll shower first?” 

  “Yeah. I’ll start on pasta.” 

  “Great.” The doors open, and they move down the hall as Katie unlocks the door and lets them both in. Katie makes a beeline for her room immediately, grabbing her pajamas before locking herself in their shared bathroom. 

  It takes one look in the mirror for Katie to realize what she’s done. 

  Panic seeps in, but she can’t back out now. The only thing she can do is take a shower and calm herself down as the fact that she’s married to her roommate settles in. 

  She spends the next half hour taking her sweet time letting the hot water run over her body as she shampoos and conditions her hair to take her mind off the fact that she’s a married woman. In order to kill time, she also continues to spend half an hour doing her post-shower skincare routine, and even takes the time to do her hair care before she finally steps out of the bathroom. 

  The scent of spicy vodka pasta greets Katie as she re-enters the living area, and she watches as Travis plates their dinners and lays it out on their tiny dining table. The table is usually used as a desk between the two of them in the chance that they have work to take home, and is rarely used for dinner. They typically eat dinner at the kitchen bar counter, or on the couch. 

  It might be a dining table kind of night, Katie muses, as she digs in their fridge for the good champagne. She gets glasses out as well, and brings everything to their table. She slides into her seat once it’s clear Travis is done setting the table, and grins when he grates cheese onto her pasta. “Stop bouncing your knee,” he says, as he leans back against his chair. He’s changed into a muscle tee that says “BIGGEST GAINS”, which Percy gifted him a year ago for Christmas. Everyone got a superlative shirt of varying atrocity; Katie’s green tee shirt says “TREE HUGGER”, which referred more to an inside joke than her love for plants. She never wears it out of the house. 

  Katie twists her lips, making difficult effort to avoid staring at his arms. “What else am I supposed to do? This is crazy,” she says, taking her fork and stabbing it into the rigatoni laid in front of her. “Thank you for cooking, by the way.” 

  “Of course,” Travis responds, taking a sip of his champagne.“Is the food okay?” 

  “You know the answer to that already, hon.” This meal is Travis’s go-to quick fix whenever it’s his turn to cook, and it never fails. 

  “Already with the married nicknames?” Travis teases. 

  Katie feels heat rush into her cheeks. “I’ve called you that before. You do the same thing.” 

  Travis raises an eyebrow at her, and the unspoken words settle between them. 

   But never with meaning.

  She calls him a range of pet names whenever they play house for too long and there’s alcohol in her system, or when they’re joking with friends. He does the same, and it usually ends up becoming an “old married couple” joke among their friend group, even over text. 

  Always “please, darling?” when asking for a favor, and always an overdramatic “anything for you, honey”.  

  Never with meaning.

---

  “By the way, I’ll take you to work tomorrow,” Travis says, as Katie heads down the hall to her room. 

  She turns around just as she reaches her door, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. “Why? Aren’t you going to sleep in?” 

  He shakes his head as he rests his hand on the doorknob of his room, leaning on it. “I offered to pick some things up for Beck and his wife. Your school is on the way.” 

  Katie nods slowly. “That’s nice. How’s Silena doing?” 

  “Good, I think. I can let you know tomorrow. I’ll pick you up from work afterwards to meet up with the gang?” 

  “Shit, that’s tomorrow, isn’t it?” Katie groans inwardly at the notion of their weekly friend group meetup. 

  Travis offers a small smile. “Yeah. Long week?” 

  “Your fault,” Katie snipes, smiling back as she accidentally lets her gaze fall to his lips. “Um, I’ll go to sleep now.” 

  “Good.” Travis nods in her direction, and she opens the door when he speaks again. “Kates?” 

  “Hm?” 

  Travis opens his mouth once, and Katie braces herself. “Goodnight.” 

  Oh. “Night!” Katie calls, before closing the door behind her.

---

  “Stoll! Welcome in.” 

  Charles Beckendorf, Travis’s partner, opens the door and welcomes him into his house, reaching over for the bag in his left hand. “Hey, man,” Travis greets. 

  “Thanks for offering to get everything for us. You know you didn’t have to though, right?” 

  “Hey,” Travis puts a hand on Beck’s shoulder as he places the rest of the bags aside, helping him unload. Most of the items are just baby essentials and some groceries, as well as snacks. “You want to spend time with your wife. There’s no reason to leave the house for an hour when I can do that for you.” 

  “I really owe you one,” Beck replies, grinning. 

  Travis looks over his shoulder and down the hallway as he takes off his shoes. “How’s she doing?” 

  Beck sighs. “Tired, but she still has the energy to send me out in the middle of the night to buy whatever she’s craving.” The station has nothing but unanimous respect for Beckendorf’s wife Silena, who is six months pregnant with twins. Her current pregnancy is a surprise, especially considering their other children are already ten and seven. “She’s finally sleeping better now, though.” 

  “She’s one strong woman,” Travis says. “Props to her.” 

  “Yeah,” Beck replies. The two of them work towards unloading the haul. “What’ve you been up to these past two days, Stoll?” 

  Travis feels his heart rate kick up as he realizes what the rest of the day will probably entail. “Oh, you know. Just got married.” 

  Beckendorf claps Travis’s shoulder at that. “Damn! Did I miss something?” 

  “Nope,” Travis responds, popping the ‘p’. He opens up the pantry to unload some spices, and turns back to his partner. “Listen, Beck, it’s not that big a deal. We’re trying to keep it on the down low though, so do you think you can keep it a secret?” The less people that know about their sham, the better. Travis knows Beck would support the idea of him getting married to stay at the station, but it’s safer if no one knows. 

  “Yeah, man, of course. So who’s the lucky woman?” 

  Travis grins as he tosses a paper bag aside to compost. “Katie.” 

  Beck pauses his work, raising an eyebrow at him. Travis has to try not to shrink back, but it’s a little difficult. His partner is a whole six feet six inches tall, and has been on the force for much longer than Travis has. They’re both lieutenants, but that doesn’t stop Travis from being endlessly in awe of his partner. “You married your roommate.” 

  “Who got married to their roommate?” Silena walks out, in all her blonde and tired glory. Her hair is thrown up in what Travis believes is the messiest bun he's ever seen, and she has a hand on her hip as she waddles into the area. She opens her eyes after a yawn, and looks straight at Travis. “Oh my God, Travis, you married your roommate?” 

  Between the three of them, Travis’s feelings for Katie are no secret. Silena’s always been making fun of Travis for his feelings for his roommate, which makes this even more embarrassing for him. “Yeah?” 

  “Holy shit!” Silena grins as she shuffles over to Travis and pulls him into an awkward hug. One of the twins kicks just as they hug, and Travis groans a little as a little thump hits his lower stomach. “Finally! God, it took you long enough!” 

  “That’s amazing,” Beck says, giving Silena a chaste kiss as he moves to hand her a mug of tea. “I’m happy for you, man.” 

  “Thanks,” Travis says awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. 

  “It wasn’t a shotgun wedding, was it?” Silena asks, putting a hand on her hip. “No way you’d marry the girl you’ve been in love with for years out of nowhere.” 

  Travis holds his hands up in surrender as he defends himself. “Not a shotgun wedding, Silena. Just…we finally figured out shit out,” he explains terribly. 

  Luckily, neither Beck nor Silena suspect anything more. “Well, I’m glad you finally figured it out. It took you way too long,” Silena comments, as she sips at her tea. 

---

  Friday night means going out with the group. They go to their favorite bar once a month and usually settle for hanging out at someone’s place; today is bar night. 

  It also happens to be the twenty-four hour mark since Katie got married, so there’s a lot of freakout involved. Luckily, there’s also a lot of alcohol. 

  “I’m getting another drink. Anyone want anything?” Katie asks, around the booth her friends are occupying. 

  “Sazerac,” Piper calls, ever the adventurous drinker. 

  Katie points at her. “Got it. Others?” 

  Travis raises his hand. “Sex on the beach?” He wiggles his eyebrows provocatively, and Katie raises her middle finger. 

  “Not funny,” she says, directing her statement more to his allergy to cranberries than the butt of the joke itself. Across from the table, she watches as Connor raises an eyebrow towards everyone else. 

  Katie shrugs, sliding out of the booth to point around at her friends. “Anyone else? Shots?” 

  “Shots!” Percy hollers, only for Annabeth to look at Katie and mouth, ‘no’. Her boyfriend’s low tolerance is no secret in the group, so Katie notes that she’ll just get a club soda for him. 

  “I’ll be back,” Katie says, reaching the bar to flag down a bartender. “Reyna!” she calls. 

  Her favorite bartender turns around at Katie’s voice, her long braid flowing as she does so. “Katie! What can I do for you?” 

  “Sazerac, club soda, and a Manhattan, please. Bourbon with the Manhattan.” Katie hops onto the bar stool in front of her, resting on her elbows. 

  Reyna nods. “Coming right up.” She turns around, collecting the ingredients to the drinks to begin making them. 

  Katie watches as the people around her move amongst each other. She’s always loved watching people, especially in busy settings. She may have grown up in a suburban city with a decent amount of people, but she’s always loved being around people. In the corner of the bar in their usual booth, her friends are having an animated conversation. There’s a group of college-aged kids celebrating a girl’s 21st birthday, and nearby there’s a group of middle-aged men enjoying beers together. 

  “Hey.” Katie looks up to see a man sitting on the stool next to her, eyeing her appreciatively. 

  “Hi,” Katie responds, wary. She looks over at Reyna, who’s taking another order as she makes Piper’s sazerac. 

  The man speaks again. “You come here often?” Oh, not the age-old line. Katie’s never met a single person who’s said that line and not regretted it immediately after. 

  Katie looks over at him again, offering a half-smile. “Kind of.” 

  “I see. Did you ditch your friends for the bar?” 

  “Not quite.” She looks back over to their booth, where she makes eye contact with Travis. Wanna help me out a bit here? she yells with her eyes, widening them slightly so he gets the hint. 

  He thankfully does, and sidles up to Katie’s side at the bar. “Hey, Kates.” Travis puts his hand on the small of Katie’s back, holding her steady as he waves Reyna over. “Rey-Rey!” 

  Reyna looks up, rolling her eyes playfully as she greets Travis. “No, we don’t sell Everclear.” She doesn’t even bat an eye as she speaks, working on their drinks. It’s the same response every time to him, because Travis asks her every time. In college they all went camping in Colorado and ended up hammered after taking Everclear shots. Somehow, Travis thinks it’s the greatest experience he’s ever had. It’s become an inside joke, especially as he asks Reyna for shots of it every time they come to the bar. 

  “Damn,” Travis says, sighing. “What do you think I should get, babe?” 

  Katie shakes her head, leaning into Travis’s side. “Nothing. You’re driving us home, remember?” 

  “Ugh,” Travis responds. “As you were, Reyna.” Their bartender laughs as she turns back to their drinks. Then, Travis pretends to notice the man next to Katie for the first time, who looks a little rattled. “Hey, man. Ever get hammered on Everclear?” 

  “What?” The man asks, clearly dumbfounded with the change in conversation. 

  “See, in college, way back when, all of our friends went camping in Colorado for spring break. We bought Everclear to see how bad it really was, and when I tell you we were wasted after twenty minutes, I’m telling the truth. This woman,” he says, gesturing to Katie. “Spent the entire night asleep in a tree. How she got up there and how she didn’t fall out of it, I don’t know. She did fall out of it while waking up the next morning, though, and fell right on top of me. Like, right on top of me.” Travis’s eyes light up while telling the story, and Katie wants to bury her face in her hands as he recalls it. 

  The man beside them nods with reluctant interest. “That’s crazy, man.” 

  “Right?” Travis moves his hand from Katie’s waist to her shoulders, wrapping his arm around her neck to pull her into a head hug. “Now look at us. The girl that fell out of a tree is my wife now. Insane, isn’t it?” 

  “Yeah. Crazy.” Terrible one-liner man stands up awkwardly and leaves almost immediately, and Travis hops up onto the now-vacant stool. 

  He grins widely at Katie. “You’re welcome.” 

  “You’re full of yourself,” Katie says, rolling her eyes as Reyna returns with the drinks. 

  “Sorry I took so long,” she apologizes. “People just kept ordering.” 

  Travis shrugs. “All good, Rey-Rey.” He leans forward to sneak a drink of Percy’s club soda, and Katie swats his hand away. “Hey!” 

  “Not for you,” Katie says, clutching Piper’s and her drinks. “Bring it back to the table for Percy. If he’s out, then you can have it.” 

  “Fine,” Travis pouts, lifting the glass off the counter. “Thanks again, Rey-Rey!” 

  “Thank you!” Katie calls, as the two make it back to the booth. When they return, Piper has a pointed eyebrow raised, and Connor’s giving her a look. She shrugs, handing the drinks out and staying oblivious. 

  Travis was right. This is going to be fun. 

Chapter 2: may

  “Lieutenant Stoll, I understand you’ve been at this station for two years now?” 

  “Yes, sir.” 

  Chief Zeus gives a curt nod. “I see. You have done a great service here, Lieutenant. However, we have been asked to transfer men to Worcester. You’ve been selected as one of them.” 

  Travis finds himself nodding in respect before finally responding. “With all due respect, sir, I don’t think a transfer will be possible for me.” 

  “Elaborate for me, Lieutenant.” 

  “My wife is a teacher. She’s contracted for three years here, and I can’t be living separately from her.” 

  Zeus raises an eyebrow before turning to his computer and typing something in aggressively. Travis assumes it’s his file. “I see. I was unaware you were married, Lieutenant.” 

  Travis offers a small smile and hopes he doesn’t see through anything. “I am, sir.” 

  “You got married two weeks ago?” 

  “Yes, sir.” 

  Zeus looks over the file again before taking his glasses off. “Well, I suppose you must remain for longer, then. Once your wife’s contract is up, you may be facing another transfer request, Lieutenant.” 

 

Travis
[2:30pm] guess what kates 

 

Katie
[2:49pm] you finally got called for a cat stuck in a tree? 

 

Travis
[2:52pm] funny
[2:52pm] but no
[2:52pm] i got called in for the transfer earlier
[2:53pm] told the chief we’re married
[2:53pm] mission accomplished 

 

Katie
[2:55pm] YAY!
[2:55pm] so we can get divorced now!
[2:55pm] don’t worry, i’m kidding
[2:56pm] can’t have overlord chief zeus suspicious 

 

  Travis bites his lip for a moment before responding. He’s in the break room, finishing up some paperwork on just why he is rejecting the transfer (which apparently is not a common piece of paperwork to be completing, so no one is helping him and he’s stuck alone). He’s not sure why Katie would jump to divorcing so quickly, but it irks him just a little bit. Nevertheless, he has a job to get to, and Katie, whose school day has just ended, has to finish cleaning up her classroom. So he wraps up the conversation. 

 

Travis
[2:58pm] you’re not getting rid of me that easily, katie-kat 

 

Katie
[2:59pm] not sure if that’s supposed to be a good thing
[2:59pm] staff meeting today, btw! home by 5. making dinner too 

 

  Travis reacts with a thumbs-up message and heads over to submit all his paperwork and get back to doing his work. There’s a couple things for him to check out on the truck, and when the siren goes off for him to check up on a car accident downtown, there’s not much more time for him to dwell on anything before his 24 is up and he’s heading home to Katie. 

  His department started trying out 6pm shift changes just six months ago on a trial basis, and it’s been the best thing for everyone in the station. He can leave for work after an early dinner, and then come back the next night for dinner, as opposed to early in the morning. And the best part is that he can actually stay awake, rather than struggling with exhaustion in the waking hours of the morning. 

  Instead of Katie picking him up from work like usual, Beck drives him home. Travis is on the way, after all, and staff meetings tend to exhaust Katie too much for Travis to feel any form of okay with having her drive to pick him up and then head home to make dinner for the both of them. So he’s sitting in the pink pickup truck that Silena refuses to let go of, even after the kids and they needed a bigger car, making their way through Boston traffic back home. 

  “Sorry about the truck, I know it’s a little bumpy,” Beck says as they make their way out of the fire station. “The Outback is in the shop for a few days, and Silena needs the van to take the kids.” 

  Travis chuckles, thinking of Beck's usual car that’s just a little too small for his tall frame. “No, it’s all good. How long has Silena had this truck?” 

  “She’s had Persephone,” Beck chuckles, revealing the name of the truck itself to Travis. “Since she graduated college. She saved up for a pink pickup all throughout college, got Persephone, and we drove her all the way from North Carolina up here to Boston when she got her dream job a year later.” 

  Something about the car is so uniquely Silena Beckendorf that Travis has to smile. He knows Beck and Silena met when she was in college at UNC Chapel Hill and he was still a rookie in the Raleigh fire department.  They’ve been inseparable for twenty years, and even though Travis has known them for two, he feels like they’re just the missing piece in his life. “Persephone is holding on until Zoe starts driving, right?” 

  Beck laughs. “I think Silena wants her to hold on until the twins start driving,” he chuckles, shaking his head. “Persephone’s part of the family.” 

  They turn into a quieter part of the neighborhood, where Travis and Katie’s apartment is, and finally pull up into the parking garage inside it. “Thanks for the ride, Beck.” 

  The taller man smiles. “Anytime. Hey, also, Silena’s probably going to text you later about this, so I’m gonna give you the heads up. She wants to meet Katie, so she’s inviting her to the baby shower. I know you’re coming already, so you can just bring her if she’s available. But when Silena texts, pretend it’s the first you’re hearing of it. I know she’ll want to tell you herself.” 

  As if on cue, Travis’s phone pings. 

 

Silena Beckendorf
[6:17pm] Bring your wife to my baby shower
[6:17pm] …please 

  

  Chuckling, Travis turns his phone around to show Beck the text. “At least she’s being nice about it,” Beck jokes. “She’s demanding, but she means well.” 

   “Yeah, I’ve heard.” Travis laughs as he shoots a text back. 

 

Travis
[6:18pm] i’ll talk to her tonight
[6:18pm] no promises 

 

Silena Beckendorf
[6:19pm] Let me know
[6:19pm] And hurry up getting home
[6:19pm] I miss my husband 

 

  Travis sends a simple saluting emoji and reaches for his bag in the bed of the truck. “Thanks for the ride again, Beck. I’m not gonna keep you from your family. See you on Thursday!” 

  “Let Silena know if Katie’s coming, yeah? See you, man!” Beck reaches over and claps Travis’s hand in their handshake before backing out of the parking garage and heading into the elevator. 

---

  “Honey, I’m home!” 

  Taylor Swift’s voice slowly quiets down as Travis takes his shoes and jacket off. “How was it?” Katie asks, as her speaker still continues playing music. Her hair’s loose around her shoulders and she’s in a pajama shirt that slips just the littlest bit off one shoulder as she turns to face him. 

  Travis is pretty sure he would spike up the heart rate monitor in any hospital. “Good,” he says, unpacking his bag and taking out the empty Tupperware containers and his water bottle. He drops them off in the sink and gets to washing them, as well as any other dishes and silverware Katie’s left in the sink while cooking. “Same old. After the chief spoke to me I had to do some paperwork, then there was the accident downtown we had to go take care of. Everyone’s fine. Just one guy with a concussion, that’s it. You?” 

  Katie nods. “Good.” She turns back to her mission plating their dinner as she speaks, with her turn to update him about her day. “Calm day, luckily. Staff meeting was unbearably boring, as usual. But tomorrow is field day, so at least it’ll be fun.” 

  The suds in the sink wash down as Travis puts all the dishes in the dishwasher to dry off. “Average Tuesday, then.” 

  “You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Katie jokes. “Oh, I have Pilates with Piper and Annabeth tomorrow at 5. I’ll have dinner with them after.” 

  “Do I still get you for breakfast?” Travis asks, moving around her to get some drinks for the two of them. He pours up some sparkling blackberry water for her, and takes out a can of beer for himself. 

  Something flashes across Katie’s face, and he catches a hint of a smile as she tucks her hair behind her ear. “If you’re up before eight, I suppose you do.” 

  “Count me in, then.” His phone buzzes again, with another reminder from Silena to ask about the baby shower, so he takes a deep breath before speaking. “So…” Travis starts slowly, bracing himself from behind the kitchen bar counter. Katie is usually pretty harmless, but she knows her way around a knife, evident from the way she’s currently dicing up onions for the taco plates she’s finishing up. “You know how Beck’s wife is pregnant?” 

  “Yeah,” Katie calls, sprinkling her onions onto their plates. She slides one over to him on the bar counter, sitting next to him as he hesitates before he eats. “Silena, right?” 

  Travis nods. “So, uh, she kind of wants you to go to her baby shower?” 

  Katie looks up from where she’s putting hot sauce into her taco. “We’ve never met though.” 

  “Yeah, but I maybe kind of mentioned to Beck and Silena that I married you and she got really excited and now she wants to meet you,” Travis blurts out, bracing himself for the wave of embarrassment he’s going to get when he gets the look from Katie. 

  She pauses for a moment before she speaks. “You told people we’re married?” she demands. 

  “Just Beck!” Travis confesses, wincing. “He doesn’t know it’s fake, don’t worry. The shower is next Saturday at 2. And I kind of said we’d go. There’ll be other coworkers, but Beck and Silena won’t tell anyone we’re married, ‘kay?” 

  Katie glares at him. “I’m only going to go because I want to meet Silena.”

  Dinner falls silent after that.  

---

  “You must be Katie!” 

  Katie’s mouth falls slightly open as the one and only Silena Beckendorf greets her, her pregnant belly so large she’s surprised the blonde doesn’t have any visible back pain. “Hi!” She responds, exclaiming slightly as she’s pulled into a very awkward hug. “It’s so nice to meet you, Silena. This is for you and the twins.” She holds out a gift bag, and Silena grins, taking it gratefully. 

  Silena Beckendorf is probably the most beautiful woman Katie’s ever seen in her entire life. Despite seeing pictures of Silena on Travis and Beck’s Instagrams, Katie’s never seen Silena in person, and the pictures clearly do not do her justice whatsoever. She’s the epitome of the stereotypical beach blonde, but her eyes are so soft, yet slender, that Katie knows full well Silena is a smart and sharp individual. Strong, too, considering she’s walking around in heels while pregnant with twins. From what Katie can tell through pictures, Silena’s effortless with style, so much so that the clothes she’s been wearing throughout her pregnancy seem to be styled perfectly to not be depicted as stereotypical maternity clothing. 

  “It’s so great to meet you too.” Silena grins as she places her hands under her belly, holding it up slightly. “I’ve heard so many things about you. Come in! I’ll get you a drink.” She looks over Katie’s shoulder to where Travis is smiling, and drops her smile slightly. “Oh, get lost, Stoll. I want to have some girl talk with your wife.” 

  “Nice seeing you too, Silena.” Travis salutes her as he makes his way to find Beck. 

  Katie smiles as she’s guided into the kitchen, where Silena drops off the gift bag with the pile of others and fishes out a glass of ginger ale. She hands it to Katie as she speaks. “God, I’m so glad you and Travis finally figured it out. I do have to say, though.” Silena opens a bottle of sparkling water for herself and looks over at Katie. “I’m surprised you guys jumped to marriage so fast. But I can see you guys are such a great match. I’ve always told Travis that. I’ve only ever heard stories about you, and seen pictures, but there’s always been something there. I was worried I’d have to step in and have you two start figuring it out with a little interference.” For a second, Katie thinks she’s joking, but suddenly is reminded that Silena is a professional luxury matchmaker; one of the best in the market. According to Travis, she’s been working in the industry for fifteen years now, and has recently added an eleventh successful match and wedding to her resume. 

  Katie laughs with the littlest tinge of awestruck fear as she gladly takes a sip of her ginger ale. “Well, when you know, you know,” she replies. 

  She looks over to where Travis is interacting with Silena’s other kids, Zoe and Ethan. As if noticing her sudden distraction, Silena places her hand on Katie’s arm gently. “You know, I’d love for you both to come over for dinner sometime. Maybe before the twins are born, since the house will be in disarray for a few months afterwards.” 

  “That would be amazing.” Katie can’t seem to tear her eyes away from where Travis is, carrying Ethan on his shoulders and parading around the backyard. “We’ll set a date.” 

  Silena laughs. “Yes, we will. And while you’re at it, maybe find a date for you and Travis to think about having some kids of your own. Looks like you’re interested in that side of him.” 

  Red flushes into Katie’s cheeks as she turns back to Silena. “Oh, I just-” 

  “Don’t defend yourself, Katie. He is a firefighter, after all. Trust me, I know all about that.” Silena winks as she places her hands on her belly. “I’m going to go sit down for a minute. Feel free to mingle and eat!” 

  Katie watches as she vanishes, standing behind the counter for another moment. She decides to go talk to some people afterwards, moving to the backyard where the food is. 

  Beck spots her and briefly leaves the grill to greet her. “Hey, Katie! I’m glad you and Travis made it.” 

  “I’m glad to be here. Congrats again, Beck,” Katie offers. She doesn’t know Charles Beckendorf too well, but has seen him enough times when he comes over to maintain a friendly morale. 

  “Thanks. Unexpected, but we’re really excited.” 

  “And so am I.” Travis walks over, greeting Beck again and turning to Katie. “Hey, babe.” 

  Katie wants to crawl into a hole at hearing the pet name. “Hi,” she says instead. “What’re you up to?” 

  “About to get some food, actually. Wanna come with?” 

  Katie nods, and grins at Beck before taking off with Travis to where all the food is laid out. It’s all buffet style, and they make their way around the table slowly while they talk. 

  “You met Silena?” Travis asks. “How was it?” 

  “Fun. God, I love her. She told us to come over some time for dinner before the twins are born,” Katie responds, plucking a small bunch of grapes onto her plate. 

   Travis nods, taking a grape from her plate and eating it. “I’ll figure it out with Beck. Have you met the kids yet?” 

  Katie shakes her head as she wraps around the table to get some more food. “Not yet. I think I will after I eat. But you seem to be close with them.” 

  “I mean, you do see all the gifts I get for them on their birthday and everything.” Travis smiles as he looks outside the window at the kids, and Katie realizes just how much Travis is involved in their lives. He didn’t become Beck’s partner until two years ago, but they’ve gotten along so perfectly that Katie sometimes forgets that they’re not childhood best friends. “They’re pretty great.” 

  “Yeah?” 

  Travis turns back to her, nodding. “Yeah.” 

  Katie moves away from the table to eat, and raises her eyebrows at Travis. “So what I’m hearing is you want kids someday.” 

  “Well, what I’m hearing is that you want kids with me, Katie-Kat.” Travis smiles innocently as he eats, and Katie rolls her eyes. 

  “Calm down. I’m not having kids for a few years at least.” 

  Travis leans forward. “But we could always practice.” He winks, and Katie feels her face flush. 

  She playfully swats at the side of his head. “Shut up and eat your food, Stoll.” 

---

  “Okay, Bea. Would you like to tell me why you decided to pull Jenna’s hair? That wasn’t very nice.” 

  Katie looks expectantly in front of her at the fourth-grader sitting in the student beanbag and glaring at the floor with reddened cheeks and crossed arms. She leans forward in her own desk chair, resting her elbows on her knees. 

  “Hey,” she says softly. The student looks up just barely, and adjusts herself to turn just slightly in Katie’s direction. “Talk to me, sweetheart. I’m letting you tell me your side of the story. That’s what we always want, right? To be heard?” 

  Bea huffs as she avoids Katie’s gaze and mumbles. “Jenna was making fun of me and Brandon, saying that we were being lovebirds and then she started making a bunch of kissy faces.” 

  “Well, did you ask her to stop?” 

  “I’ve been asking her to stop forever, Ms. Gardner! Brandon and I just like going on the swings at recess together, that doesn’t mean I want him to be my-” She scrunches her nose. “Boyfriend,” she finishes, with true disgust in the word. “We’re friends, and Jenna thinks I like like him or something. So I told her to stop it because Brandon looked not very okay, and she said, ‘Aww, protecting your boyfriend?’ and then I pulled her hair when she walked away.” 

  Katie nods in understanding. “I see. Well, you know violence should not be the answer. If you were having problems with Jenna, you could’ve just told me.” 

  Bea looks up at Katie, finally meeting her eyes. “I know, but I didn’t wanna tattle.” 

  “It’s not tattling if you’re standing up for yourself. And for Brandon,” Katie reassures her student. Brandon has always been a quieter student, and his friendship with Bea has been one of the factors in him opening up more. “You know I have to call your parents tonight. And don’t worry, I’ll speak with Jenna and her parents as well. If you continue to have these problems, you have to talk to me about it.” 

  “Okay, Ms. Gardner.” The words are soft, but Katie smiles nevertheless. 

  She holds out her pinky finger out to her student. “You gonna promise to talk to me from here on out? No secrets?” 

  A small grin makes its way onto Bea’s face as she shakes Katie’s pinky finger with her own. “Okay!” 

---

  Travis is silently dying of laughter on the armchair of the couch as Katie makes the parent phone calls, and she has to glare at him every two seconds to get him to shut up.  

  “I trust that you understand Bea’s actions, and I do hope you speak with her to understand her thoughts and reasoning as well.” Katie jots down a note in her notebook to check with Bea the next day, and continues speaking. “Like I’ve said previously, I’ve spoken with her one-on-one, as well as Jenna’s parents, and I know she’ll work on speaking up when she feels negatively in any way.” Bea’s father yammers on about making sure he’ll speak with his daughter, and Katie smiles. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Reynolds. Have a wonderful evening.” She hangs up, and finally Travis can speak. 

  “That’s got to be a new reason for making a parent phone call,” he gasps, laughing as he walks over to the kitchen to help himself to an apple in the fruit basket. “Holy shit. Lovebirds can piss a girl off like that?” He throws his head back and chuckles. “And you relaying the story is absolutely hilarious, Katie-Kat.” 

  Katie glares at him as she shuts her notebook and puts her phone down. “It’s not that funny, Travis.” She groans as she reaches over for another apple in the basket and takes a bite out of it. “Hearing a scream and seeing a girl getting her hair yanked by the goody two-shoes was definitely unexpected, though.” She gets up to take her things into her bedroom, where she stretches out and sits on her bed. 

  “Not to take sides, but I’m team Bea,” Travis says, leaning against the doorframe. “Sometimes violence is the answer.” He takes a bite out of his apple, and crunches it obnoxiously as he speaks. 

  “Oh, definitely.” Katie cracks a smile. “Jenna’s been marching around the classroom all year. I’ve been telling you about it, remember? Popularity is unfortunately becoming a construct now. She gets a phone and now she’s the coolest kid on the playground,” she sighs, twirling her apple around in her hand as she takes a bite. “But we have a few weeks left of school, so I’m hoping they get it all sorted out before the summer.” 

  “How often do you have chick fights on elementary school playgrounds?” Travis asks, raising his eyebrow with much more intrigue than a grown man should have. 

  Katie closes her eyes to think. “About as many times as you’ve asked me that,” she quips. 

  Travis sighs. “Once? Seriously?” 

  “It’s fourth grade, Travis.” 

  “Those are some boring fourth graders.” 

  Katie rolls her eyes. “Oh, shut up. Those are my kids.” 

  At the word, Travis looks over at Katie. “So about kids…” 

  “Nope.” Katie stands up, heading to the door to close it on Travis. She looks up at him as he stubbornly refuses to move, instead raising an eyebrow at her again in challenge. “Move.” 

  “Make me,” he says, with that cheeky grin that gets her huffing. 

  She places one hand on his chest and attempts to push him out, but to no avail. “Hey!” 

  Travis chuckles as he takes another bite of his apple. “Come on, Kates. If you wanted to touch me you could’ve just asked.” 

  “Shut up and get out,” Katie grits, her face reddening as she attempts to shove Travis out of her room. Silena was right; the firefighter physique is definitely one to find attractive, yet infuriating. She groans and presses her head against Travis’s chest. “Can you please leave me to sleep in peace, please?” she mumbles. 

  “That’s the magic word.” Travis drops a kiss onto Katie’s head and steps back, leaving her to her own peace. “Goodnight, Katie-Kat.” 

  Katie stands for all of two seconds in her doorway before groaning in frustration and closing her door. 

 

Notes:

it (the tension) gets better i promise just stay with me now <3