Pitch Perfect Harmony

The Manuscript

When Taylor and Travis went to bed after their dinner following the conversation about John Mayer, they both kind of knew they would be up again tonight. And they were right. Travis woke up from her voice but when he looked at her, her eyes were still closed. She was talking in her sleep. Nothing he could really understand but she seemed mad. Her body was tense and he wasn't sure if he should wake her up or just hold her. When she started crying too, he woke her up. Her eyes met his then looking around anxiously. "You're okay. It was just a dream", he told her caressing her cheek. "I... it was as if I was there again. I... I can hear him like it was yesterday. Why can't I just forget it?", she asked punching his chest helplessly. Travis took her hand in his and wiped away her tears. "John?", he asked just to be sure. "I don't want to hear his name! I don't want to see his face in the tabloids tomorrow! I don't want to dream this fight again! I don't want to write another song about how stupid I was!", she almost screamed but her voice was breaking.

"Tay, look at me", he asked her, so their eyes met again. He gently put a finger on her lips to silence her before she could say something again. "It's okay. You're okay now. He's never going to hurt you again. You won't let him. You won his game and now it's over", he told her just trying to make it better somehow. "Doesn't feel like winning", she whispered. "Why? Because noone is celebrating? You know I played games before where noone celebrated and everyone was kinda just relieved that it was over. And then it doesn't feel like a win. But it still is!", he came up with something. Travis felt a little stupid comparing her story to a football game but she compared the relationship to some game first, so he went with it. And Taylor picked up on what he meant. He wasn't even wrong about it. "Maybe", she partly agreed with his theory.

"Would you want to make up for it?", he asked her. She looked at him confused. "You won his game and you didn't even know the rules. You are the champion of that fucking game and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. You can pet yourself on the shoulder and go home. Prepare for the next game or just enjoy the time at home. It's over, there's no point in looking at strategies or mistakes", he continued to run with the metaphor feeling insecure about it because he had never said something like that. But he made it sound real and convincing. Taylor knew he was right. It sank in more and more. She was home now. And for the first time in years, it didn't even feel like she would need to prepare for the next game. Travis wasn't playing with her and it was strange because he was the first person she was with who actually played games for a living.

"I made it", she mumbled just to make it more believable for herself. "Yes, you did", he smiled softly at her. A long breath left her mouth and her body finally relaxed. When she closed her eyes, he lay a soft kiss on her forehead. "Every time I'm with you some weird shit from my past comes up", she noticed. "We'll be through all the stories at some point. And I'm sure mine will come up too. Your industry is just so much faster, you got more of the shit", he told her what he had been thinking about before. He was around the same people for a long time now. And even if he switched teams more often earlier in his career, it was a more stable environment than hers. He always had a team to rely on, she went through everything more or less alone. "Tell me when it gets annoying", she told him. He chuckled a little. "Trust me, it won't. I'd rather come up with something to help you than watch you suffer in silence", he said kissing her head again. She looked up smiling thankfully.

"Do you think you can sleep tonight? I do still have the guitar in my office", he suggested. Her smile grew wider. He understood what writing was for her. "I think I'm good. Thank you though. I should really bring my own one so you can give it back", she said. "I don't think he needs it soon but sure. You could leave one here if that's something you do", he suggested a little insecure again. Since she had had a panic attack because she had felt pressured by him, he didn't want to be too much. "Sounds like an idea", she agreed smiling reassuringly at him. She knew why he was that careful but she was thankful for it. Travis couldn't hold back a yawn making her yawn too. "We should sleep", he smiled. She nodded and cuddled up to him again.

But his words and the idea of having won the game and being able to leave it behind now stuck with her. When he was at practice the next day, she grabbed the guitar he had mentioned and tried to put it into her own words. It was the story of her life. She had lived through all these chapters and now a new one had begun. She could close the old pages and wouldn't need to return to them. Maybe she would re-read them again sometime but she could leave it there as an old story. As The Manuscript of her life.

A fairly fitting chapter for Midnights I guess🌕
I'll post another chapter because even if we didn't get anything Rep TV related, we got Florence and Jack! Congratulations to everyone who was/is there!