Tayvis

It's been a long time coming

AN: So I was really trying to write TEU pt.2 but when Tay went on New Heights I could not not write about it. So enjoy the first of probably many ideas that came from it. I'm really proud of this. Hope you like it :)

January 2025

Taylor's POV: 

Anger surges through me jerking me awake, bolting me upright. I can feel the sheets twisted around my bare legs and hear the soft hum of the ceiling fan in the darkened room as I press a hand over my chest. The clock flashes 4:29am in glaring red numbers. 

"Sweetie?" Travis mumbles from where his face is smashed against the pillow next to me, eyes still firmly closed.

"Sorry. Bad Dream, go back to sleep baby." I respond while slowly still trying to calm my racing heart. He squeezes my waist as I lay back down next to him and continue to take deep breaths staring up at the ceiling of our Kansas City house. 

It just felt so real. The dream wasn't new, it's the same dream I have been having since 2019. It's stupid really, I'm at the funeral of a stranger I've never met and their kids are bragging about inheriting the rights to my music. Even with re-recording my albums, this pain never goes away, it gnaws at my heart, but now I've just gotten better at hiding it. I don't cry about it to my friends, I don't feel the need to complain to my fans, I don't rant to online anonymously, but it still haunts me in my dreams and plagues my thoughts. All I've ever wanted is to own my music, and it's just so shitty that it's not a possibility and I have to live with that. 

All I know is that I am not going to be able to go back to sleep now. I press a soft kiss to Travis's head and untangle myself from him, throwing on my black robe from the back of the door and walking down the stairs. Meredith flicks her tail at me as she sees me enter the kitchen from her perch on the dining room table, but does not move to greet me. I turn on the coffee maker and sit down on a barstool scrolling through my phone, waiting on my Carmel latte. The whirl of the machine is the only sound as the rest of the house is silent, still too early for the rest of the world. Insomnia is nothing new for me, its usually how I get my best writing done, but recently I'm in a bit of a writers block. I have finished up my newest album that is in the works from the production side, and now I am just learning how to exist without the Eras Tour again. Glancing over at the pale pink baby blanket I had been working on yesterday I pick it up and start back up. It's for Jason and Kylie's newest daughter, they still haven't agreed on a name yet, who is due in a few months. While I continue where I left off, my brain keeps spiraling back to my dream, leaving a nasty taste in my mouth. 

It's a 5 hours later, Travis is at the facility for practice, and I am sending a group text to my Mom and Austin. 

Need to chat. Business. Let me know when you two are free.

I hit send and bit my lip staring off into space absentmindedly petting Benjamin who curled into my lap when Travis left. I've decided now is the time. If I'm going to make another attempt to buy back my masters now that the tour is over, I've made significant profit from it, and more of my re-recordings have been released lowering the original value, now's the time. I haven't mentioned any of this to Travis yet, I don't want to get his or my hopes up or his. I know by even speaking it into existence with my Mother and Austin it will still hurt, but the less damage caused by a No the better. 

It's noon when Austin finally replies saying he's available, to be fair he is in LA so it's really 10am his time, and my Mom quickly agrees. I slide into the large chair in my office and flip open my laptop before calling them in. My mom is sitting at her kitchen island wearing a large Chiefs sweatshirt Travis gave her for Christmas with her notebook on one side of the table and a steaming cup of something in her left hand. Austin joins a second later sitting on his back deck in a dress shirt and a large cup of coffee from Starbucks, with his iPad next to him.