Pitch Perfect Harmony

Game Day

Taylor and Travis finished their video game of choice only a day later. Taylor just wanted to know how the story of Stray ends. With a sigh, she put down the controller watching that cat leave the cold concrete world and enter the green "outside". Travis smiled. He found it endearing how much Taylor had gotten invested in the story. She hadn't stopped talking about the game the whole day until they finally had started playing again. "Do you think he'll find his friends?", he asked letting the credits run out while pulling her against his side. "He's smart. I think he will", she answered almost feeling her body relax as if the game had really needed adrenaline. "So, do I need another cat game to convince you that we should play stuff together?", Travis wanted to know jokingly. She shrugged and yawned tiredly. "Depends on the game I guess", she mumbled cuddling up to him more.

"We gotta get through a game day before and your practice and next tour part and... the election", he realized hugging her closer. "Don't remind me", she answered. There was an underlying fear regarding the election. If Trump would get another four years in office, what would he destroy? "I was thinking of throwing a small party in New York after the election. Just a few friends and if Trump loses we celebrate and otherwise we just drink to forget", she let Travis know. He chuckled a little. "If things get bad, we still have us, okay?", he told her kissing her head. "What's bad even? I'd be happy if he doesn't start the third world war", she admitted. "Do you really think he'd do that?", Travis wanted to know honestly interested in her opinions and fears. She shrugged visibly uncomfortable. "Maybe? It doesn't need to be intentional. That dude is just so... dumb... he could say something random and some other narcissistic man on the other side of some ocean could jump on that", she said. Travis sighed. She wasn't wrong with that.

"I didn't mean to bring the mood down", he noted. "Can we just go to bed?", Taylor asked. He nodded slowly sitting up with her. Taylor's eyes were so small, it was pretty obvious how tired she was. They had played for hours again because she just didn't want to stop and he couldn't say no. "You sure you won't fall asleep on the way to bed?", he asked with a little smirk helping her up. She giggled because everything is funny when you're tired enough. "Maybe", she mumbled. He shook his head and followed her slowly to make sure she wouldn't actually fall down the stairs or walk into the doors. But they made it to bed safely and quickly fell asleep.

Over the next couple of days, they had to get back to work though. Travis had a game coming up and Taylor needed to prepare for the second round of shows in the US soon. There wasn't too much time left until the first concert would start again. That's why Taylor also wanted to enjoy the game day without having to stress about getting there in time or only watching from a different city entirely. Sadly, it turned out to not be as chill as they had both hoped because there were also the elections coming up, and wherever Taylor went, she had to block out political hatred toward her. Their close friends could handle having different opinions on some topics but to the outside world, it seemed impossible to accept. Hearing, reading, and talking so much about politics had Taylor and Travis more and more anxious about the election itself though. As much as the game day itself was able to distract them. She knew that if Trump would be elected again, there would be an unpredictable amount of dangers coming with it. Having Elon Musk getting a seemingly important role in all of this didn't help.

Travis knew how worried Taylor was. And he was too, of course. He was worried for his friends and family and himself as well as the country in general but he was also worried for Taylor. As a person with power speaking up against Trump and as a woman. A woman who might need to fear public degradation and defamation more than ever but also a woman who, like any other woman, might lose control over her own body. He didn't expect her to be directly met with the consequences of abortion rights but ultimately, you never knew what was to come. They had talked about children and as much as he was scared for their future now too, pregnancy and birth had so many factors and risks. If she ever needed something like an abortion for medical reasons, to save her life even, and it wouldn't be possible in this country at least, he would be more than just furious.

They stayed up the whole election night only dozing off for a few minutes every now and then. It looked worse and worse the longer the counting and calculation process went on. And then, it was clear: Donald Trump would get another four years in office. As the president of the United States of America. Their faces went blank at the ultimate news. And when reporters started talking about what Trump would most likely be up to over the following days, Taylor just couldn't hold it anymore and started crying. It felt like a betrayal. "I'm sorry, baby", Travis whispered in disbelief pulling her closer. "I'm scared", she mumbled holding onto him tightly. "I know you are. Me too. But we'll be in this together, okay? We'll get through this", he tried to reassure her even though he was hurting too. "We might. Because we're white, hetero, and rich, and if we need to, we just leave, but... I don't want to", she answered hoarsely. Travis didn't know what to say. She was pretty much correct. But Taylor couldn't keep herself together, she went on rambling and crying into his chest about what she was scared of and the longer she thought about it, the more things came to her mind. Travis didn't dare to interrupt her. He just held her and listened. There was nothing he wanted more than to protect her. To make her feel safe. But this orange in a suit was going to make it pretty damn hard.