I just recently got into Cougar Town and fell in love with it straight away! So happy it's back. I'm so interested and intrigued by the relationship withe Travis and Laurie, and when this idea popped into my head I just wanted to write it as soon as possible. I probably missed something in editing so forgive me. Also, there really needs to be more Trav/Laurie fanfic!
Disclaimer: all rights belong to Bill Lawrence and his team, I'm just borrowing!
The weekend after his 21st birthday, Laurie takes him to a club. She's been excited about this for weeks. She's been calling his every day for the past week to make sure he still kept Saturday night free, and to make sure he wore the right thing (whatever the right thing was) and to check if he approved of what she was going to wear ("Because I wanna look hot, obviously, but not like I-want-to-hook-up-with-a-stranger-hot, because obviously I've be hanging out with you. "to hang out with ). To be honest, he's kinda excited. Not really for the club thing, because he's been before (they went to one near his school on his actual birthday, but to hang out with Laurie. They've hung out before. But ever since Hawaii there's been this spark between them. He's pretty sure it was there before. And it didn't help that Kevin once mentioned he seemed to have a thing for blondes. )
He comes down stairs, having spent a little too long on his hair to find every one sitting in his Mom's lounge having a drink.
"Ohh honey you look all dressed up!" his mom exclaimes when she saw him. Travis frowns, he's pretty sure he's worn this shirt loads of times but whatever.
"Uh, thanks?" he says looking confused.
"Now, I know you'll be responsible and Laurie's going to be there but remember don't leave your drink unattended."
"J-Bird, really? Who's gonna Roofie Travis's drink? No offense, Trav." his dad laughs and takes a sip of his beer.
"None taken," he nods, not sure whether to be relieved or disappointed that he's safe from that particular crime.
"What do you mean, I totally would!" his mom says, and he frowns again, this time along with everyone else. "That came out wrong," she muses, patting his shoulder.
"Hey Trav, you do realize that going out with Jellybean means you're probably going to get mugged and assaulted tonight?"
"Thanks Ellie, I think I can protect myself." He answers and makes a face when everyone bursts out laughing.
"Seriously though, don't flash your money around. You do have enough money for a cab, right?"
"Mom, relax."
"I know, I know. It's just you're so grown up – going to your first club. Oooh pictures!"
"Mom, it's not my prom."
"No, your hair looks way better this time," Andy said, and Ellie smiled at him proudly. Travis just nodded along.
"Where is Laurie?" He asks finally, noticing she's missing from the group.
"Here I am– let's go partayyyy!" Laurie says as she pops up behind him. He's really not sure where she came from, but he's glad to see her. She finishing off her glass of wine and is wearing the hottest dress ever. I mean, of course he's seen Laurie all dressed up before (and in a bikini and whatever) and she always looks great, even when she's wearing the entire spectrum of colors, but this time it was different. This time it was like she dressed up especially for him. And by God, it takes all his effort not to stare.
"How are we getting there?"
"Oh, I'm taking y'all!" His dad jumps up from the arm chair and grins at him.
"We're going to my first club in a golf cart? Fun!" He deadpans, and seriously starts to reconsider this idea. He can go to a club anytime, right?
So they go. It's not a huge, busy club, but it's still a club and he's happy to be hanging out with Laurie. Like, without his parents. It's fun, they have a drink, Laurie points out every hot girl she sees walk in and they dance. Well, Laurie dances, he kinda just tries to point his feet a little without look stupid (his mom told him the bullet joke once and he did not find it funny).
Later, he goes to the bathroom and she insists on buying the next round. And since she's the only one of them who currently has a job, he lets her.
When he comes out, he finds her immediately by the bar, but there's a tall man next to her. He hangs back, because he doesn't want to ruin her game or whatever. At the same time, though, he feels a little bitterness coursing through him. This was his night with Laurie.
He watches her turn her head, and instead of that adorable flirty smile he knows so well, he sees a small frown on her lips. The guy says something else, but Laurie just shakes her head and leans away. Travis frowns. The man however, doesn't seem to get the hint, and reaches out at touches her arm. Laurie pulls it back immediately and suddenly Travis wastes no time rushing to her side.
"Hey babe I'm back," he says wrapping an arm around her waist. Thing is, he says it so quietly that there's no way the guy could hear him over the music. Laurie does though, because she looks at him for a second with a knowing smile. Travis turns to the guy and raises his eyebrow in the most threatening way ever, which probably just made him look like a Labrador or something. Whatever. The guy looks at him, then at Laurie before getting the hint and moving on. Travis looks at Laurie and they both burst out laughing. It wasn't until the bartender puts both their drinks on the bar that he realises his arm was still around her waist.
A few hours later, they're strolling around. They have money for a cab, but neither of them is eager to get home just yet. It's a warm night, and the breeze is just enough to stop it being muggy. For a second he wishes it was cooler, so he'd have a reason to be a gentleman and wrap his arm around her or something.
"Thanks for saving me tonight," Laurie breaks the silence first. She bites her lips after she say it and looks at him sheepishly.
He shrugs, and smiles at her. "Don't worry about it. You've saved me many times."
"Yeah, but sometimes I forget you're all grown up now."
He swallows a groan. The age thing had always been the only weird thing in their... friendship. Laurie notices he doesn't say anything and sighs.
"Ugh, I shouldn't have said that. Now it's awkward," She frowns, and he stops her by placing a hand on her arm.
"No! Well... It's always going to be a little awkward. I've known you since I was 13. Like seriously, you should be the weird aunt that pinches my cheeks and gives me money on my birthday," He joked.
Laurie's eyes widen, "Oh My God, that's totally like one of my step-aunts Aunt Norma. Except she always gave me Mexican Pesos."
She looks up into the sky thoughtfully and he can't help but smile at her as she remembers her aunt. "But you're not. You're Laurie. You're like my best friend."
He rubs her shoulder a little and she turns back to him with a glowing smile on her face. "Aww, you're like my best friend too... Don't tell your mom I said that! Come here," she pulls him into a tight hug and his arms fit perfectly around her, even if in those heels she's a little taller than him. Trying not to be obvious he sighs contentedly as his head rests against hers.
So yeah, he has a huge crush on Laurie. He's had a huge crush on Laurie since he met her, and she was just this hot new girl his mom worked with. But now they're friends. Like actual, trust-each-other friends, and sometimes he's pretty sure he's in love with her.
As they pull away, Laurie leans closer to kiss him on the cheek, and they continue walking. But before they take a step, she hooks her arm around his.
"We would be so weird together," she muses after a moment.
He raises his eyebrows, and hoping it's not obvious his heart just totally dropped. "Wow. That's reassuring."
"No, but kinda like a good weird, you know?" She says, looking at him while they're still walking.
"Sure," he just nods.
"Seriously Travis. You're gonna finish college and do so many awesome things. You deserve someone great that- what?" She stops rambling when she realises he's been staring at her the whole time. He loves how she can get caught up in her own sentence.
He just shakes his head and smiles at her, "You just don't get how awesome you are."
She looks really happy by what he said, and grins at him. "Aww. You're awesome too."
She unloops her arm from his, instead taking his hand and interlacing their fingers together. He wants to say something, but he realises it's kind of a perfect moment, and he wants to keep it that way.