the stars in your eyes | t.s. one shots

keep marching

ask me about suffs the musical! ask me about women's suffrage! do it! i dare you! (don't do it unless you've got several free hours to spare because i'm deep into this hyperfixation and this one shot is the result of that)

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"you'll rarely agree with whoever's in charge, keep marching, keep marching; 'cause your ancestors are all the proof you need, that progress is possible, not guaranteed; it will only be made if we keep marching, keep marching on." -shaina taub, suffs

"Tree," Taylor sighs, pulling her hair up into a ponytail, "I understand what you're saying, but I can't sit here silently anymore while the world just burns around me."

Tree nods. "I know that you want to make an endorsement; I know that you feel obligated to-"

"I don't feel obligated to," Taylor cuts her publicist off. "I am obligated to. And I want to. I need to do this, because if there's anything that I can do to help keep that piece of shit out of office, I need to know that I did it. I want you to understand that." Taylor feels tears welling up in her eyes. Embarrassed, she diverts her gaze to the window, feigning interest in the street outside and hoping that nobody will notice that her tear ducts are wet.

Still, the way that Tree's tone softens indicates that she absolutely sees it. "Taylor, it's not that I don't support you in this. I'm not telling you not to if you feel it's right, but I'm raising an alternate perspective. So many people have very valid concerns about her history as a cop and her views on the war in Israel and Palestine. You know that lots of people have already been criticizing you for staying silent on that issue, especially when Joe has made his views public."

Taylor rolls her eyes, throwing her head back as she sits on the sofa in her living room. "Fuck Joe. I don't give a fuck what he's doing and I don't want his name to be in this conversation." Taylor pauses, looking between Tree and Travis. The singer clenches her fists, digging her fingernails into her palms. "She's not perfect, but nobody is. If we end up with Trump in office again, we won't be able to fight for the rights of people in other countries because we won't even have any of our own. That's why I want to endorse her. I want to be able to continue making endorsements in the future. I'm going to vote for her because I don't want this to be the last election I ever fucking vote in. I'm sorry, Tree, but I need to do this."

The redheaded woman nods. "I understand." It's clear to everyone that she's nervous about Taylor's decision, but she really does know that Taylor is doing what feels right to her. For many years, the singer stayed silent, and there's always going to be something in the back of her mind, nagging at her, wondering if she could have helped to change the results of the presidential election in 2016 had she have spoken out. Taylor feels a deep guilt over this, and Tree would never want to make a decision that will add to that burden.

Though there have been times where Tree has had to put her foot down and tell Taylor to stay silent, issues that were so dividing and controversial even within one political party, that speaking out could have hurt her career, this is not one of those times. She only wanted to prepare her client, and her friend, for the criticisms she is likely going to get.

"I have to do this," Taylor says through a shaky voice. She rests her head on Travis's shoulder and he places his hand lightly on her thigh. Travis has been sitting here silently for this whole conversation, and that man is damn near tears. "What's wrong, babe?" she asks finally, looking up at him and noticing his faltering expression.

Travis bites his lip. "I really think you're doing the right thing by speaking out, Tay, please don't get this twisted. But... hearing Tree say all of that... is it going to be a safety risk? If you're going to make people mad by doing it?" In the last year that he's been in Taylor's life, Travis has become acutely aware of just how many threats Taylor gets, that the public never sees. It's really scary. Over the months, it's gotten to him, and many nights, he falls asleep holding her in his grasp, not just because he enjoys the cuddles, but because he wants to be able to protect her from all of the bad in the world. "Tay, you've got so many concerts to do still. It just makes me really nervous."