>>21230540“Come on, Trav, it’s just a hat. Just a f***ing hat.” He picked it up, running his fingers along the fabric. The iconic green and red stripes stared back at him like a mockery of his past. Once upon a time, he could have thrown it in the trash and walked out in whatever he wanted. But now? Now there were expectations.
"You’ll look great in this," they had said. "Trust us, everyone’s going to love it. You’ll be all over the tabloids tomorrow."
He placed the hat on his head, adjusting it in the mirror. The absurdity of it nearly made him laugh. *This* is what he had become. A Gucci-wearing caricature of himself, stripped of the raw masculinity that had defined him for so long. He looked ridiculous, but no one would say that out loud.
“Travis?” a voice called from outside the room. Taylor’s voice, bright and expectant. “Are you ready, babe? We’re gonna be late.”
He took a deep breath, staring at himself one last time in the mirror. His reflection looked back at him, but it wasn’t Travis anymore. Not the Travis he remembered, not the Travis that used to push his body to the limits, break bones, and keep going because that’s who he was. This version of Travis was manufactured—designed to please, to fit into a world that had nothing to do with football, or toughness, or authenticity.
“Yeah,” he finally replied, his voice hollow. “I’m coming.”
He grabbed his phone, pocketed his keys, and turned off the light. The real Travis Kelce, the one who used to exist, had long since left the building. All that remained now was a polished version, ready for public consumption, his soul sold to a world of brand deals, photo ops, and Gucci bucket hats.
