"Do you want me to be in an early grave?"

"No."

"Do you understand that you're giving me early grey hairs?"

"Yes."

"Are you going to give me proper answers, or sit with a scowl on your face like the world has wronged you for the rest of this meeting?"

"Don't know."

Riven groaned in annoyance as he threw his hands up, sitting down in his chair with a deep sigh and a huff of his shoulders. Adrian smiled slightly at the antics, covering his mouth with his hand as he rolled his eyes in Leia's direction.

"Is anyone else going to comment on the fact that drinking in Central Park is illegal? Or am I the only one worrying about that TMZ post?"

"Just you," Adrian replied, passing Riven over the coffee that he'd just brought in for the publicist. "We sorted it out already last night. Paid triple what the citation would be, and donated a nice sum towards the NYPD's Christmas fund. You'd know this if you'd... opened your emails this morning?"

Riven's eyes widened as he hastily reached for his phone, scrolling through his inbox with a mixture of relief and embarrassment. Adrian leaned back in his chair, a knowing smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. The sunlight filtering through the office windows cast a warm glow on the polished mahogany table, highlighting the fine lines of stress etched across Riven's forehead.

A few days had passed since the tour celebration night. Leia had woken up to an empty bed and a note from Taylor saying she had left to go to the studio and hadn't wanted to wake her. Leia had also woken up to a barrage of articles talking about the party from the night before, including a photo of Taylor and Joe entering holding hands.

It was safe to say that she'd woken up in an absolutely vile mood - which had ultimately lead to her sitting downing a bottle of beer by herself in Central Park that afternoon. Classic.

"Now that we've cleared that up," Adrian began, his voice taking on a more serious tone, "we have other matters to discuss." He paused, his gaze flickering between Riven and Leia. "With the PR relationship with Zaria coming to an end, it might be prudent to consider another arrangement soon. You know, to show Leia is 'healing' and moving forward."

Riven nodded eagerly, already pulling up a list on his tablet. 

"I've got a few potential candidates lined up. There's that up-and-coming indie musician, or maybe that charming lead from that new Netflix series-"

"No." Leia's voice cut through the room like a knife, sharp and cold.

The silence that followed Leia's abrupt refusal was palpable. Riven's fingers hovered over his tablet, frozen in mid-swipe. Adrian's eyebrows arched, his expression a mixture of surprise and intrigue.

"Leia, sweetie, we've talked about this. It's part of the game, part of maintaining your image and-"

"My image?" Leia interrupted, her voice rising. "My image is suffocating me, Riven. I can't even have a drink in the park without it becoming headline news. I'm tired of pretending, of putting on a show for everyone else."

Adrian leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table. "Leia, I understand your frustration, but we need to think about your career here. The public-"

"I don't need protection from the public. I need honesty." Leia's gaze swept across the room, taking in the worried faces of her manager and publicist. 

For a moment, the only sound was the muffled noise of traffic far below and the soft hum of the air conditioning.

"I'm done," she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm done lying. I'm done hiding. And I'm done with this meeting."

Before either man could respond, Leia strode towards the door, her auburn hair swinging behind her. As she turned to leave, Adrian's voice stopped her. 

"Is this about Taylor?"

She didn't turn around, but her shoulders tensed visibly. 

"This is about me," she said quietly. "About who I want to be, not who everyone else wants me to be." She paused for a moment, her hand on the doorknob, and turned back to face them. "Figure out a way to make this work without another fake relationship. That's your job, isn't it?"

With that, she yanked open the door and stormed out, leaving Adrian and Riven staring at each other in stunned silence as the door slammed shut behind her.

"Well, that was simply rude."

____

"We didn't exactly talk, Taylor," Leia murmured, sighing as she looked up from her phone. Taylor blushed, her mind obviously drifting back to how they ended the night of her tour celebration, memories sitting in her mind of just how little talking they did. "We never really talk."

Leia's words hung between them, a challenge and a plea wrapped into one. She took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling with the effort to maintain her composure.

The warm afternoon light filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows of her New York apartment cast a golden glow across the room, highlighting the tension etched in Leia's features.

"I know," Taylor said softly, her blue eyes filled with a mixture of guilt and concern. "I guess we've both been avoiding the elephant in the room."

"It's not just about avoiding it, Taylor," Leia began, her voice rising as she snapped a bit. "It's about the fact that when it comes to Joe, or any of these PR relationships, you and Tree just... decide. You make these choices that affect my life, my heart, and I'm just supposed to nod and smile and be okay with it all."

Taylor stayed quiet.

"And we keep having this same argument," Leia sighed, her voice dropping in frustration as she leaned back, closing her eyes for a second and taking in a deep breath. "I know Tree is just doing her job and I know you're just trying to protect your reputation. I get that, I do. I just..."

"I know, Lee," Taylor murmured gently, sitting down beside her and pulling her into a gentle hug that Leia melted into with a soft sigh. "I'm sorry - sorry for putting you through this over and over, sorry that I can't give you the love you deserve-"

"I just left a meeting with Adrian and Riven," Leia continued, her voice stronger now. "They want me to start another PR relationship. I told them no. I told them I'm done pretending."

Taylor froze mid-sentence as Leia cut her off, turning to face her with wide eyes. "You what?"

"I'm tired, Tay," Leia said, her shoulders sagging. "Tired of the lies, the secrets, the constant pressure to be someone I'm not. I want to be me. All of me..."

Leia noticed the way Taylor tensed up, worried that the other shoe was about to drop.

"And that includes loving you - and I want the whole world to know that I'm in a good place with an amazing girlfriend who I love more than anything," Leia continued, lightly holding on to Taylor's hands. "But I won't make you come out, I can't do that to you. Once this whole thing with Zaria dies down, I'll tell the world I love a girl and she's out of the public eye, and that'll be that."

"The fans..."

"Won't know anything if you're stepping out and about with Joe," Leia told her. "That's what this whole thing is for, isn't it? So we can continue just being us and having the privacy."

Taylor took a deep breath, her gaze dropping to their intertwined hands. "I'm scared," she admitted softly. "I've spent so long crafting this image, this persona. The thought of tearing it all down..."

"I'm not asking you to," Leia reassured her quickly. "I would never ask you to do something you're not ready for. I just... I need to be true to myself."

Taylor pulled Leia closer, resting her forehead against hers. 

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I've put you through this. You deserve better."

"I don't want better," Leia murmured, her voice thick with emotion. "I want you. Just you. And if that means I need to fake-share you with Joe..."

"...who I wanted to also tell you..." Taylor murmured, a twinkle in her eye as she shot Leia a playful glare, "... told me abut your little chat on the balcony. When you accused him of having a crush on me."

A soft smile played at the corners of her lips, a mixture of amusement and affection dancing in her gaze.

"I'm not entirely sure why Joe told me," she explained, her voice tinged with warmth. "I think he maybe thought I'd benefit from knowing, but all it did was make it apparent that you were right - Tree even commented on it after you left."

Leia wasn't sure what to make of that. Why would Joe admit that when it literally made him look bad? She'd never understand British men.

"We had a long hard chat with his manager and publicist that I wasn't interested and that this was strictly personal. He looked a bit like a kicked puppy but he took it in good faith, I think. Tree told him anymore attempts to make you feel bad - as that's what it sounded like he was doing - would violate the contract."

Leia felt her breath catch in her throat, overwhelmed by the sincerity in Taylor's words. She was kind of embarrassed that Taylor knew her and Joe had been arguing on Taylor's big night, but there was something deep inside her - gratitude maybe? - that felt incredibly good to know that Taylor didn't bat an eyelid at it.

"I know our situation isn't ideal," Taylor went on, her thumb tracing gentle circles on the back of Leia's hand. "And I know I've asked so much of you, more than anyone should have to give. But I want you to know that you're it for me, too. Just you." 

"I love you," Leia whispered, her voice barely audible.

"I love you too," Taylor replied, sealing her words with a soft kiss.

As they broke apart, Leia's phone buzzed insistently on the coffee table. She groaned, reaching for it reluctantly.

"It's Riven," she said, glancing at the screen. "Probably calling to lecture me about storming out of the meeting."

Taylor raised an eyebrow. "You stormed out?"

"I may have been a bit... dramatic," Leia admitted, a hint of sheepishness in her voice. Taylor chuckled, shaking her head fondly. 

"That's my girl."

____

"Did you know that Hayley is seeing someone?"

"Kiyoko?"

"Yuuup," Georgie drawled out, scrolling through her phone as she sat in the sofa in the recording studio, her other hand aimlessly scratching Tate in between his ears as he rested his big head on her thigh. "She told me when she was with us that night in July."

Leia spun around to look at her sister, an eyebrow raised.

"That was July... and you're only just telling me this in November?"

"Well, we've both been pretty busy," Georgie defended herself, throwing her hands with a playful glare towards her sister. "You've been all loved up with Taylor again since you worked things out last month, and I've been working on school and this internship."

"We were on tour together in July until October, I think you could have told me then?"

"Whatever," Georgie replied, losing interest. "I just felt I should tell you since I know you're going to speak out soon about being with someone but wanting it kept private. Thought you could ask her for advice."

Leia paused, thinking about the concept. Georgie was right - it might be good to hear from someone who was in a similar position to herself... but that would mean telling someone else about her and Taylor and they already had a growing list of people who knew about them - including Karlie, which still sat in the back of Leia's mind since she'd last seen her.

"Are you not supposed to be like... working right now?" Leia suddenly realised, looking at Georgie who looked like she didn't have a care in the world. "Or studying or something?"

"Nah, I'm caught up with my classes, and Austin has given me the weekend off to recharge."

"Recharge?" Leia scoffed. "You literally do nothing?"

"Shut up," Georgie huffed, throwing the TV remote beside her at Leia, missing and causing the plastic to smack against the glass of the recording booth. Leia sent her a warning glare, the younger Hudson instantly looking a bit sheepish. "Sorry."

Leia and Taylor had been doing great since their last heart to heart about Joe and the PR relationship. Taylor had been working pretty hard on her new album, which Leia was hearing on a regular basis, and Riven had been relatively more relaxed now that Leia wasn't doing things that stressed him out (such as getting caught drinking in public). 

Adrian was on a well deserved break with his kids - Leia had gifted him a three week holiday to Italy as his youngest had always begged to go - so she was currently pretty free of responsibilities while her manager took some time off.

Georgie had found herself (read: begged until Austin gave in) working in an intern position for the younger Swift, having become obsessed with the stories and work that he did for his sister. Austin had been heading up a lot of the tour activities with TaylorNation, Taylor's fanbase team, and now was working on being in charge of the placement of her music - something Georgie had taken a huge interest in.

Leia had been skeptical about Georgie essentially working for Taylor and her family-business, but Taylor had assured her it was all good. Their parents had given Georgie a long video call to remind her of how important it was to be professional in the internship - despite the fact everyone knew that Austin did not care.

Joe and Leia had met once since their argument at the tour wrap party, the blonde man muttering out an apology and sheepishly avoiding her for the rest of the afternoon. They'd taken a trip into the desert in LA - partially to get some PR photos for Taylor and Joe to post on instagram but also because Leia wanted to have a weekend in peace. Tree had cautiously suggested Joe visited them as he was in LA at the time and much to everyone's surprise, Leia had agreed with no push-back.

"Hey, sorry I'm late!"

Leia grinned as she turned back around, Tate being the first to greet the blonde that had entered the room. Taylor smiled widely at the dog, crouching down and giving him a good scratch on his neck before leaning over to hug Georgie who was perched on the edge of the couch.

"Aren't you supposed to be like working or studying?"

"Holy shit, can everyone get off my dick?" Georgie snapped, grabbing her phone and storming out of the room.

Leia rolled her eyes as Taylor turned to look at her, confused at the sudden outburst from the younger girl. She stood up, walking over to her girlfriend and pressing a soft kiss to her lips and smiling at her.

"It's not personal, I think my parents called her like twenty minutes ago and said the same, and then I also said it about five minutes ago..." Leia trailed off, squeezing Taylor's hand and stepping back to give her some space. "How was recording with Jack?"

Taylor smiled back, shrugging her coat off and flopping down on to the couch as Leia sat back down at the mixing board.

"It was good! We recorded Cornelia Street - you know the one I first played for you? It sounds so good Leia, like I'm really really excited for this one. The fans are honestly going to love it and I think it might be my favourite thing I've worked on in a while like everything just feels..." Taylor trailed off as she noticed the way Leia was smiling at her, like something was amusing. "What?"

"It's nothing," Leia shook her head before realising that Taylor wasn't going to leave it alone. "Okay, it's just... just good to see you this excited about something. Like you were excited about the last one and the tour but I'm just glad you're back to being excited and confident in yourself."

Taylor's eyes softened at Leia's words, a warm smile spreading across her face. She stood up from the couch and made her way over to where Leia sat at the mixing board, wrapping her arms around her from behind.

"You know, a lot of that confidence comes from you," Taylor murmured, pressing a soft kiss to Leia's temple. "Having you by my side, supporting me through everything... it means more than you know."

Leia leaned back into Taylor's embrace, relishing the warmth and comfort of her arms. For a moment, they simply existed in the quiet of the studio, Tate's small snores now evident from where he had promptly fallen back asleep.

"So," Taylor said after a while, her tone turning playful. "What were you working on before I so rudely interrupted?"

"Oh, I don't think it's for me," Leia admitted, pressing a few buttons as she explained to Taylor what she'd been doing while waiting on her. "I think Shawn might take it. I sent it over to him earlier and he's been firing me some notes back and forth."

Taylor mused, looking over Leia's shoulder as Leia showed her the numerous voice notes on her phone.

"Camila?"

"You know it," Leia laughed back, having been excited to tell Taylor that Shawn had admitted he loved Camila, only for Taylor to have already figured that out from when Shawn had guest performed on the tour. "If she doesn't get the hint now, then I think someone is just going to have to scream it at her."

Taylor chuckled, shaking her head fondly. "Those two... I swear, sometimes I just want to lock them in a room together until they figure it out."

"Maybe we should," Leia joked, turning in her chair to face Taylor. "A little matchmaking never hurt anyone, right?"

Taylor raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in her eye. 

"Are you suggesting we meddle in our friends' love lives, Miss Hudson?"

"Maybe," Leia grinned, pulling Taylor closer by the hem of her shirt. "What are you going to do about it, Miss Swift?"

Their playful banter was interrupted by the studio door swinging open, revealing a slightly frazzled-looking Georgie. Leia instantly dropped her grasp on Taylor's top, the blonde taking a slight step back as the younger Hudson entered the room without so much as a knock.

"Okay, I'm sorry for snapping earlier," she said, her words tumbling out in a rush. "I think I just need to be truthful with you both because I feel like you're gonna find out any day now and I don't know how much longer I can pretend I'm not doing this."

Georgie took a deep breath, her eyes darting nervously between Taylor and Leia, who were looking at her in nothing but confusion and concern.

"I've been seeing someone," she blurted out, her words tumbling over each other in a rush. "For about two months now. Since just before the tour ended."

Leia's eyes widened, her mouth falling open in shock. Taylor, equally stunned, reached out to steady herself against the mixing board. Leia blinked rapidly, trying to process the information. Her little sister, dating? For two months? And she hadn't noticed? Guilt and shock warred within her as she struggled to find her voice.

Taylor, for her part, looked equally stunned. Her blue eyes darted between the Hudson sisters, her mind racing to catch up with this unexpected revelation. Georgie had been dating - while on tour?

The silence in the studio was deafening. Even Tate, who had been peacefully snoozing in the corner, lifted his head to observe the unfolding drama.

Georgie, seemingly emboldened by their silence, pressed on. Her cheeks flushed a deep crimson as she spoke, words tumbling out in a breathless rush.

"He's incredible, you guys. He's smart, and funny, and so talented. And the way he looks at me... it's like I'm the only person in the world."

Taylor and Leia exchanged a bewildered glance, still too shocked to form words.

"And the sex," Georgie added, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Oh my god, the sex is amazing. I can't stop thinking about it. About him. It's like... it's like every nerve in my body is on fire when we're together. Do you know how hard it's been trying to be quiet when you guys come home and he's over?"

Leia's face contorted into a mixture of horror and fascination, while Taylor looked like she was trying to decide whether to laugh or cry. They'd had no idea what was happening behind closed doors with Georgie - figuratively and literally.

"He does this thing with his tongue that just... wow," Georgie continued, lost in her own world now. "And his hands..."

"Georgie, what the fuck," Leia breathed out, cutting her off as she started to go into extreme detail out of nowhere. "Are you playing a prank on us or something?"

 "What? No!" Georgie exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise at Leia's accusation. "I'm being serious!"

Taylor cleared her throat, finally finding her voice. "

Georgie, sweetie, we're... happy for you. But maybe we could dial back on the, uh, intimate details while we're still processing the first half of this story?"

"Right. Sorry. I guess I just... I've been keeping this secret for so long, and it all just came rushing out." Georgie blushed even deeper, suddenly seeming to realise just how much she had overshared.  "It's just... everything happened so fast. And with the tour, and then the internship... I didn't want to complicate things."

Leia took a deep breath, trying to process all this new information. 

"So... who is he? Was he on the tour with us?"

Georgie seemed to blink for a moment, almost as if she was navigating how to say it.

"You might, but I don't know if you really know him well," she said, her words more careful now. "He wasn't like on the tour though. We started speaking in July, and just have really hit it off recently."

Leia's brow furrowed as she tried to piece together who Georgie could be talking about. Someone they might know, but not well? Who had Georgie even been around in July besides the tour crew?

"Georgie," Taylor said gently, her voice tinged with concern. "You know we support you, right? No matter who it is. We just want you to be happy and safe."

"Speaking as your sister, yeah I know you no matter what," Leia added, but crossed her arms. "But also speaking as your sister, what the fuck are you being all dramatic about? Just tell us who it is?"

Taylor leaned over, smacking Leia on the arm with a short disapproving glare. 

"Ignore her," Taylor told Georgie. "I always do."

Georgie's face softened at Taylor's words, a mixture of relief and gratitude washing over her features. She took a deep breath, her shoulders relaxing visibly.

"You know what? I think I've dropped enough bombshells for one day," Georgie said, her tone lightening as she pulled out her phone. "How about we order some food? I'm starving, and I bet you two haven't eaten yet either."

The sudden change of topic left Leia blinking in confusion, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. Taylor, however, seemed to roll with the shift effortlessly, her eyes lighting up at the mention of food - something that Leia couldn't be annoyed about.

"I'm soooo hungry. What kind of burritos do you guys want? I was thinking of ordering from that place down the street - you know, the one with the guac that Taylor's obsessed with?"

"Oh, yes! Their guacamole is to die for," Taylor enthused, momentarily distracted from the weighty conversation they'd just been having. "I'll have the veggie burrito with extra guac, please."

Leia shot Taylor an incredulous look, as if to say, 'Are we really just going to let this go?' But Taylor simply shrugged, a silent message passing between them: 'Let her come to us when she's ready.'

Georgie, oblivious to their silent exchange, was already tapping away at her phone. "Veggie for Taylor, got it. What about you, Lee? The usual carnitas?"

Leia sighed, resigning herself to the fact that they weren't going to get any more information out of Georgie right now. 

"Yeah, carnitas is fine," she muttered, still trying to wrap her head around everything that had just transpired.

As Georgie busied herself with the food order, Leia caught Taylor's eye. The blonde gave her a reassuring smile, mouthing 'Later' with a subtle nod. Leia nodded back, understanding that this conversation was far from over.

"Alright, it'll be here in about 30 minutes," Georgie announced, pocketing her phone with a satisfied smile. "Now, who wants to help me convince Austin that I deserve a raise?"

"He literally doesn't pay you?" Leia quipped back.

And just like that, the conversation moved on, the mystery of Georgie's secret relationship momentarily forgotten in favour of burritos and workplace antics.

These little moments in time - no one could take this from them. Not the media, not Dylan, not Joe's jealousy... nothing. Or so they thought, anyway.