Pitch Perfect Harmony

Everything I Can

Not long after Kylie and Jason had left, a phone call interrupted Taylor's and Travis' cuddle session. When Taylor looked at her phone, she noticed a few messages and the call from the head of her security. That was even worse than a surprise call from Tree. She picked up and stood up from the couch too. Her whole body became tense and Travis watched her confused. He didn't know the name that had lit up on her phone but sounded like a very serious call. Taylor was talking really fast and he had trouble following. "But Brandon knows?", she asked. Now Travis at least knew it had something to do with security. Brandon was the head of the team that was with them in Kansas right now. "Yeah. Okay, thanks for letting me know", she continued. "Yeah. Bye", the call ended shortly after. But Taylor didn't move. She stood at the window staring outside.

Travis decided to walk over but when he let an arm slide around her, she almost jumped before she realized that it was just him. "Hey, who was that?", Travis asked. Her mood had shifted drastically since before the call. He just couldn't read where to. "Security", she let him know taking a deep breath to prepare to tell him. "Someone tried to break into the New York apartment", she said. As soon as he understood, he just hugged her. Taylor's arms slid around him too. "But he didn't make it in?", he just assumed it was a man. She shook her head. "And they caught him?", Travis continued to ask. "Yeah... We know him", she explained. "We as in us or we as in your team?", he was confused. "My team. Security. He... he had been looking through my trash before and stuff", she clarified. "Well, that's weird", he mentioned. Taylor just shrugged. It wasn't the first time that that happened.

"How do you feel?", he finally asked. "Really?! What do you think?! I'm obviously not happy about that?!", Taylor told him angrily pushing him away and walking upstairs as if she had a better place to be. But she didn't. Taylor just sat down on the bed and tried to hold back her tears. Unsuccessfully. "Tay", Travis immediately showed up just sitting down next to her. She hid in his arms without even looking at him. "Sorry", she mumbled. "It's okay. I know you didn't mean it like that", he whispered kissing her head. Travis started rocking them left to right just letting her cry silently for a bit. There wasn't much to say. The situation was pretty much unchangeable.

"Every time stuff like that happens, I can't help but think about why they do that and what they want from me", she finally whispered still with tears calmly running down her cheeks. He nodded understandingly. "You're safe here", he just answered a little helplessly. "We both know that you can't do anything against a fucking gun and apparently every goddamn idiot can buy one in this country", she said raging a little. Travis sighed. He knew she was right. "And don't you ever dare to catch a bullet for me!", she warned him looking up teary-eyed. "Tay", he said hesitating. "Promise me to never risk your fucking life for me", she repeated holding eye contact. "I thought about this when we had the security conversation a few weeks back", he started his explanation. She didn't like that he needed one. Why couldn't he just promise that?

"It's something that I know is unlikely but you know that too and we're both still thinking about what-ifs. That day, I came to the conclusion that I have absolutely no idea how I would react", he said. She looked at him confused. "I don't know, Tay. I have no idea what I would do with a gun pointed at me or you. I just don't know. I can't promise you anything", he told her honestly. She swallowed hard. "I'm sorry, baby", he added when she didn't say anything. "I... No, it's okay. I guess, that's... that's the reality", she finally answered. "I can promise you to do everything I can as long as there's no weapons involved. I'd get into every goddamn fight for you. It's just... I've never been in a situation where my life was in danger like that and I have not a clue what that would feel like", he said taking her hand intuitively. She looked at their hands for a moment. "I'll protect you for as long as I can", he mumbled ashamed that he couldn't end this sentence without any restrictions. She nodded letting herself fall against him again.

"I'm sorry", he whispered which made her sit up instantly. "No, I get it. I... If we'd just turn it around... I don't know what I'd do for you either", she assured him. "And... I'm just glad that you're here. I... I do feel safe with you", she added hugging him now. He smiled a little holding her tight again. "Can we try to do something else?", she suggested a little later. "Sure. Do you wanna teach me some chords again?", he came up with an idea immediately. She smiled at him wiping her tears away. "Did you practice?", she asked. "The day you left last time, I just... I missed you", he explained making her blush. "You're sweet", she said before getting up again to go back downstairs where her guitar was.

"Jason texted", Travis noticed when he had followed her and picked up his phone. Taylor looked at him in anticipation. "He says, the piano looks good in my living room and that I'd need to watch my step if I screw this up with you because he'll personally track me down", he explained making her laugh. "Did he really say that?", she doubted but Travis showed her the message that made her blush. "Well, he might not be the only one who'd try to do that", she joked about her overprotective fans. "I'm not planning to mess this up", he just stated sitting down with her to start playing guitar. She smiled at him giving him the instrument. "Good", she just answered leaning over for a short kiss before they started playfully getting into some chords again.

They had almost forgotten about the break-in by the time they went to bed but the darkness around her made Taylor think of all the things and people that could hide in it. She tried to get her mind off of it and cuddled closer to Travis. "Did you hear that?", she asked silently. "Hm?", he mumbled opening his eyes again. "There were steps", she told him. Her senses were far from asleep. She was highly aware of every sound around her. Even the buzzing of some electricity that she had only ever noticed during a mental shutdown was there again. "I don't hear anything", he told her after a moment.

But then he remembered why she probably had asked and pulled her closer. "There's noone, Tay", he said. "No, but... There was something", she was convinced. "Baby, you're security is around. You're safe", he answered calmly. "Should we put a nightlight on?", he asked not leaving her a chance to disagree with his first statement. Taylor nodded excepting that she was probably wrong. But what if not? "I'm scared", she admitted embarrassed. "You don't need to be. I'm here", he whispered into her hair before kissing her head. "Do you want me to look around?", he suggested but she immediately shook her head holding on to him more. "Should we have your security look around?", was his next idea. "I'm just paranoid", she said hiding in his arms as much as she possibly could.

"I'm sorry", she whispered. "Hey, you don't need to be sorry. Even less than you need to be scared", he answered quickly. "I woke you up because of nothing and now you probably can't sleep because I'm clingy and paranoid and we have the lights on", she noted. "Baby, I promise you, it's okay. Don't be sorry. I'll just hold you and even if we don't sleep, we'll rest", he assured her. "You'll be so tired at practice", she sighed. "You too. But it's not surprising after what happened. I don't think anyone expects you to just shrug and move on. Now please stop blaming yourself. Close your eyes and at least try to sleep, hm? I'm right here. Not going anywhere", he told her. "Wake me up when you leave?", she asked. He nodded. And so Taylor finally closed her eyes again relying on his strong arms around her. Travis couldn't fall asleep with the lights on, so he waited until she was deeply in her dreamland before he put the lights out again and closed his eyes too.