Christmas 2021

Christmas with the Swifts was magical.

Leia sat beside Taylor at the long oak table, her hands resting lightly in her lap, the soft hum of laughter and clinking glasses rising all around her. The smell of cinnamon and roast vegetables drifted through the air, blending with pine from the oversized tree in the living room, the one Scott had insisted on getting "just a little bigger this year."

Tate lay curled contentedly beneath the table, one paw stretched over Scott Swift's foot like a claim. He was in absolute heaven, tail wagging lazily every time Scott dropped a bit of ham or turkey into his open mouth without even glancing down. Leia was fairly sure they'd struck some kind of silent, unspoken alliance.

Scott chuckled as he leaned down again, sneaking Tate another piece of stuffing. "You don't tell your moms about this, alright, buddy?"

Tate gave a soft huff of agreement, licking his chops. Leia's heart grew three sizes at that, especially when Taylor just laughed. 'Your moms'. Leia wanted to cry.

Andrea, seated across from them in a deep burgundy sweater, rolled her eyes good-naturedly and reached for the wine. Her expression was already glowing with that quiet, content energy that always lingered after everyone had finally made it to the table and the chaos had settled.

"I swear, that dog's going to leave here five pounds heavier," she said, tilting her glass toward Taylor. "You didn't tell me he was such a flirt."

Taylor, sitting relaxed at Leia's side, grinned as she passed the cranberry sauce across to her mother. 

"He's selective. Only accepts bribes from men over sixty."

Austin laughed around a mouthful of mashed potatoes. "So just Dad, then."

Leia bit back a smile, her cheeks still faintly pink from all the attention earlier - Andrea had hugged her for a full minute when they'd walked through the door, whispering "hi honey" in her ear while Scott had barely disguised his joy at seeing her again, calling her "his favourite kind of trouble" before Taylor had even taken off her coat.

It was a lot. But it was a good lot.

"You okay?" Taylor murmured now, her voice quiet enough that only Leia could hear it.

Leia nodded. "More than okay."

Her eyes flicked to the room around them—Andrea's delicate Christmas china on the table, Scott's oversized novelty napkin tucked into his collar like a bib, Kitty's faint snores drifting in from the next room, the three cats having wisely chosen to remain upstairs for the evening. The whole space shimmered with the kind of warmth that couldn't be faked. Leia hadn't known how much she'd needed this until she was in the middle of it.

She glanced down as Tate shifted slightly and placed his head on her foot, a soft sigh escaping him. Leia smiled and gently nudged him with her ankle, not to move him—just to let him know she was there too.

Across the table, Andrea refilled everyone's wine glasses with practiced ease, her eyes dancing when she got to Leia's and offered to swap it with the bottle of sparkling apple juice instead.

"We've got the good stuff for you," she said gently. "If you don't want..."

Leia blinked, then smiled, touched by the quiet attention.

"I'm good, thank you Andrea," she murmured back, again her heart feeling like it was growing in her chest. Taylor squeezed her knee under the table.

Scott raised his glass a little too high, his voice booming across the table with cheer. "To old traditions and new additions."

Leia's breath caught, but she lifted her glass all the same.

"To new additions," she echoed softly.

_____

The path curved gently through frost-bitten woods, each tree dusted with a light layer of snow that shimmered faintly in the late afternoon light. The air was still, quiet in that particular way only winter could manage. No cars, no distant lawnmowers or kids on bikes - just the muffled crunch of boots on frozen soil and the occasional jingle of Tate's collar as he trotted ahead of them, nose low to the ground and tail wagging like it was his job.

Leia pulled her scarf tighter around her chin, the cold nipping at the tip of her nose. Her cheeks were already pink from the wind, but her gloved hand was warm inside Taylor's, their fingers laced as naturally as if they'd never stopped.

Taylor had her hood up, her other hand tucked into the deep pocket of her coat. Her breath formed soft clouds in the air as she walked, boots steady against the packed trail. Every now and then she glanced over at Leia like she couldn't help it, like she still couldn't quite believe this was real.

Neither of them had said much for the first mile. The silence had been comfortable, broken only when Leia pointed out a squirrel or when Taylor had knelt to re-secure Tate's leash after a particularly enthusiastic burst through the snow. But now, as the trees opened slightly and the soft outline of a frozen creek came into view, Leia finally spoke.

"So," she said, eyes on the trail, "when do we tell everyone else?"

Taylor made a soft sound, something between a sigh and a laugh. 

"You mean the rest of our chaos circus?"

Leia glanced at her, amused. "Yeah. Them."

They both knew who "them" meant—Jack, Gigi, Selena, Shawn, Camila, Riven, Azul, Tree... and all the rest who had sat quietly on the edges of this story for months, watching and wondering, pretending not to know. Some definitely had known this was bound to happen. Some had just hoped.

"I mean, Georgie already knows and she's told Niall he has to keep it a secret too," Leia said, nudging a chunk of ice off the trail with the toe of her boot. "So it's really just everyone else who's overdue for a heart attack."

Taylor gave her a side glance. "Do you think we should do, like... a rollout?"

Leia snorted. "Like a press release?"

"I'm serious," Taylor said, only barely holding back her smile. "Do we tell people individually? Do we FaceTime? Send a group text with a selfie and a caption like 'surprise, we're in love again'?"

Leia laughed fully now, the sound echoing between the trees. 

"Oh my god, please don't send that. I'll never survive the group chat fallout."

They walked for a moment more, Tate darting ahead again to investigate a half-buried stick.

"I mean, we called my parents on the way here. That was already huge."

Taylor nodded, her thumb brushing across Leia's gloved knuckles. "They were so kind."

"They love you," Leia said, glancing at her. "They always have. Even when they didn't have the full picture."

Taylor smiled softly at that, the kind of smile that didn't try to be anything more than sincere.

Leia slowed her steps slightly, letting her gaze follow Tate as he darted off the path and into a snow-dusted patch of brush. He was clearly in his element - tongue lolling out, ears perked, tail high like a flag. The sight made her smile, but something thoughtful lingered at the edges of it.

"It doesn't have to be this huge thing," Leia said after a moment. "Like... I don't think we need a master plan of who gets told when and how. That feels exhausting."

Taylor hummed in agreement beside her, their hands still linked.

"But," Leia added, "we are definitely going to have to tell Tree and Riven."

Taylor winced softly, exaggerated. "Yeah. That one's unavoidable."

"They'll kill us if they hear it from anyone else."

Taylor glanced sideways, the corners of her mouth twitching. "I'd say Riven would just give me one of those quiet disappointed nods and then disappear into a cloud of stress... but Tree would probably fly in from New York just to dramatically toss a folder at me."

Leia laughed, adjusting the knit beanie on her head. "The folder would definitely be colour-coded."

"Tabs. Charts. Maybe a few passive-aggressive post-its."

"And we should probably tell Azul too," Leia said. "Drew already knows, and I think he's quietly thrilled that he gets to be smug about it."

Taylor snorted. "He's been smirking all week. Like we're living in his fanfiction."

Leia grinned. "Honestly? He kind of earned it. He never gave me away. Even when I was sneaking into that building like I was on a spy mission."

Taylor glanced at her, smile slowing into something more intimate. "I think he knew before I did."

They walked a little further in silence, the snow crunching gently beneath their boots, Tate circling back toward them, stick now firmly secured in his mouth like a trophy.

"I'll call Tree when we're back at the house," Taylor said. "She deserves to hear it from me."

Leia nodded. "Same with Riven. I'll give him the 'no one's in jail, but I am back with my famous ex-girlfriend' disclaimer first so he doesn't think it's a crisis."

Taylor laughed, and it carried through the cold air like a melody. "That narrows it down."

Tate brushed against Leia's leg as he passed, flinging snow from his fur in all directions. She reached down to scratch between his ears as he wriggled happily and then took off again, as if the conversation never paused him.

They paused as the trail opened into a clearing, a wide sweep of land with a frozen pond at the center and a long bench half-buried in snow. Taylor gave Leia's hand a squeeze.

"Do you ever think about how strange this could've all turned out?"

Leia turned to her. "What do you mean?"

Taylor tilted her head, looking out across the quiet landscape. "If we hadn't talked that night on the terrace. If you hadn't walked through the snow to my door last week. If I hadn't had the nerve to open it."

Leia's throat tightened slightly. Not in a bad way, just in that full sort of way... like her chest was holding more emotion than it could fit all at once.

"I try not to think about that version," she said honestly. "Because I don't want to imagine still wondering."

Taylor looked back at her then, eyes wide and open and shining like glass in the winter light.

"Well," she said softly, "you're not wondering anymore."

Leia leaned in, brushing their foreheads together beneath the brims of their coats and hats. Her voice dropped low enough that it felt private, even in the open air.

"No," she whispered. "I'm not."

_____

New Years Eve - 2021

The sky was streaked in soft blush and lavender, the kind of winter sunset that painted every glass building in New York with liquid gold. Music pulsed low through the rooftop speakers, just enough to add warmth to the air without swallowing conversation. The string lights above flickered on as the sun dipped lower, like the city itself was starting to settle into evening.

Leia stood near the bar, her hand curled around a glass of ginger ale mix, the condensation dampening her fingertips. It was cold, sharp with citrus, and had just a slither of vodka in it, just the way she liked it. The rooftop was already filling out - glimpses of familiar faces moving between the shadows and fairy lights. People laughed, posed, sipped. Somewhere near the back, someone had already started passing around a tray of champagne flutes, though midnight was still hours away.

She was speaking with Tree, who was dressed in a sleek navy coat and holding a flute of sparkling water with a slice of lime tucked against the rim.

"How was your Christmas?" Leia asked, her voice soft but steady. Her eyes, however, were elsewhere.

Tree followed the direction of her gaze instinctively and found Taylor, standing with Georgie at the edge of the rooftop, silhouetted by the skyline and standing right beside one of the powerful outdoor heaters - since New York's winter was a bitch this year. Riven was crouched slightly, snapping photos from a lower angle while Azul laughed, catching the warm spill of the last sun on their skin. Taylor was laughing at something Georgie had said, her hand caught mid-gesture in the air. Wind swept her hair across her face and she didn't brush it away.

Leia couldn't look anywhere else.

Tree smiled into her glass. "Christmas was quiet, actually. Just me, my family, and a borderline dangerous number of cinnamon rolls that Taylor sent to us. We watched 'Love Actually' three times."

Leia blinked, dragging her attention back with a sheepish smile. "Three times?"

"We got bored halfway through and decided to restart it twice. Better than fighting over board games."

Leia laughed, breath clouding faintly in the cold air. "Sounds peaceful."

"It was. What about yours?"

Leia didn't answer right away. She glanced toward Taylor again, and for a second, something soft lit behind her eyes. That ache she'd carried for so long... the constant balancing act of staying composed while her heart pulled in another direction... had eased.

"It was good," she said eventually, quiet. "Really good."

Tree nodded, but said nothing. She didn't need to. There was a weight to Leia's voice that answered everything else. The kind of peace that came from finally having something you didn't think you were allowed to want.

Leia took another sip, eyes drifting again to the corner of the rooftop where Taylor was adjusting her coat and pulling Georgie in for a few more photos. Her smile was wide, unguarded. A few feet away, Drew leaned against a wall, keeping a casual eye on the scene like always.

The thing that struck Leia most was how effortless it felt now - being near Taylor. Being near her and not pretending. There was no bracing for the drop, no calculated distance. Even if their friends didn't know yet. Even if the world still thought Taylor and Joe were quietly celebrating the holidays somewhere remote and romantic.

Leia didn't care.

She didn't care that the last thing the media had written about her was some half-hearted speculation about whether she'd been spending too much time in the UK again. She didn't care that no one had seen this coming. That most people probably thought she and Taylor hadn't spoken since last year.

What mattered was the truth. The quiet one. The one that belonged only to them, for now.

"I was surprised when Taylor said you weren't wanting to go public," Tree admitted, watching Taylor now too. "But I get it. You know, things are a lot different for her now than they were before."

Tree didn't have to tell Leia about that - Leia had noticed it the second Taylor had came back into her life. There was this unspoken aura that had formed around Taylor after the success of folklore and it just seemed that her popularity was becoming unstoppable. Now that everyone knew the truth about Kim and Kanye, and most of her other feuds had been resolved, a lot of people were finally allowing themselves to admit they did like her music.

Leia would be stupid to say that she hadn't seen the drastic rise of her Instagram following or the amount of paparazzi that would camp outside of Taylor's apartment. The way her album sales were just getting higher and the way she was winning more and more awards.

"We aren't hiding," Leia agreed. "I just don't want to rush into being out in the media. If they find out, they find out. There's just a lot less... pressure now."

Neither of them addressed the way their relationship had crumbled last time because of Leia's need to be public - because they both understood what it was now. 

Taylor looked up then, catching her eyes across the rooftop. She didn't say anything. Just smiled, slow and warm and entirely hers.

Leia's heart stumbled in her chest.

"God," Tree muttered beside her, not unkindly. "You've got it bad."

Leia's lips twitched. "You're just now figuring that out?"

Tree chuckled, shaking her head. "I knew. I just didn't realise how different you'd look when you'd worked on healing yourself."

Leia glanced down into her drink, swallowing a sudden knot in her throat.

It was true. She felt different. Lighter. Steadier. Like she had roots again.

"I'm really happy for you both, Leia," Tree murmured, softer now. "And I'm sorry that I haven't always been the most supportive of you - but I see it all now. As long as you've got that girl's back, I'll always have yours too."

Leia's eyes prickled as Tree's words landed somewhere deep in her chest. Not dramatic or showy - just true, like a pebble dropped in still water. She turned her face slightly, not out of shame or discomfort, but just to take a moment. Her grip tightened faintly on her glass.

"Thank you," she said, steady but soft. "That means a lot."

Tree didn't say anything more, just gave her a small nod. 

Across the rooftop, Riven lowered his camera with a satisfied grin, flipping through the shots while Georgie adjusted the lapel of Taylor's coat. Taylor had already shed her heels in favor of sneakers, her height still carrying her above the group as she leaned slightly over Azul's shoulder to check a preview on his phone. She looked relaxed, vibrant. Home.

Leia's gaze lingered. Even now - especially now - it was hard to believe they'd made it here. That after all the silence and the near-misses and the hesitations, they'd found their way back. That she got to look at Taylor like this, and know Taylor was looking right back.

"Okay," Tree said, clapping her hands together lightly. "I'm going to go find the charcuterie before Jack gets to it first and claims it as his emotional support cheese."

Leia laughed quietly. "Tell him the brie is mine."

Tree lifted her glass in a mock salute and turned, disappearing into the hum of party chatter and the low glitter of fairy lights. 

Leia exhaled, rolling her shoulders back slightly. The rooftop was buzzing now, more bodies weaving through the space, more laughter spilling over the music. Someone had just started DJing in the far corner, and the beat was beginning to pick up with the promise of midnight.

She walked towards Taylor and Georgie, easily slipping into the middle of them as Riven called out her name to come and take some photos of the three of them. They all grabbed some glasses of champagne from a nearby waiters tray, smiling and toasting to an invisible person on the other side of the camera.

"You looked good over there," Taylor said, voice barely above a whisper. "Lit up by the skyline. Talking to Tree like you're not the most distracting person on this roof."

Leia raised an eyebrow, smiling despite herself. "Distracting, huh?"

"Deeply," Taylor murmured, bumping her shoulder lightly against hers.

Georgie coughed.

"Please do not whisper sweet nothings into each other's ears while I am standing right here," she interrupted, rolling her eyes playfully.

Leia grinned, turning her champagne glass slightly in her hand. "Sorry. Forgot you were here, actually."

Georgie gave her a look. "I will pour this entire drink on your shoes."

"Which would be a tragedy," Taylor cut in smoothly, eyeing Leia's borrowed boots. "Those are mine."

Before Leia could quip back, Riven turned his attention away from them.

"Group photo time!" 

He was waving over some of their other friends from near the centre of the rooftop, his curly hair blowing in the wind and eyes bright from champagne. 

"Get over here before Georgie spills prosecco on Leia!"

Selena, Cara, Blake, and the Haim sisters were already heading towards them and settling into a loose formation under the string lights, each of them glittering in winter coats, fur-trimmed collars, and metallic fabrics that caught the last of the twilight. Riven stood patiently a few feet back with his camera already raised, adjusting a setting and waiting with a long-suffering sort of patience that only came from photographing this group before.

Gigi immediately tugged Georgie into the frame with them, while Cara elbowed her way in front with mock diva energy, tossing her coat over her shoulder like she was on the Met Gala carpet. Leia hugged Selena as she came to stand between her and Taylor, unaware that her friends had some important news to share with her.

"Look at this," Cara announced, gesturing around dramatically. "A photo where Taylor and Leia aren't on opposite sides of the room glaring at each other. Truly, miracles do happen."

A ripple of laughter broke out, and Leia bit her lip to suppress her smile. Taylor, standing close beside her, leaned just slightly into her shoulder.

Their eyes met. Twinkling. Knowing.

"Oh, we're still fighting," Taylor said, deadpan.

Leia nodded solemnly. "Every day."

There was a murmur of amused disbelief, the kind that came when friends knew you were lying but couldn't quite prove it.

"You two have been suspiciously civil for, like, a full hour," Cara said, narrowing her eyes as she slung an arm around Selena's shoulders. "Which either means you've found inner peace or you're hiding something."

Taylor raised an eyebrow, turning to face the camera again as Riven began adjusting his lens. 

"Or we're just maturing."

"Oh yeah?" Georgie muttered. "You shoved me out of the way for the heater five minutes ago."

"I was cold," Taylor said simply.

Leia coughed into her glass, hiding a smile. "She's evolving. Slightly."

"Let's go!" Riven called, one eye squinting through the viewfinder. "Everyone, faces this way. You can bicker after I get at least three usable shots."

The group shuffled tighter together, arms winding around waists and shoulders. Selena linked her arm through Leia's and leaned her head dramatically on her shoulder, while Gigi lifted her glass for a perfectly framed cheers. Taylor pressed in beside Leia from the other side, her coat brushing against Leia's sleeve, her perfume catching on the breeze just faintly.

"Okay," Riven said. "Big smiles. Or smirks. I'm not fussy."

They posed, the rooftop glowing around them with string lights and city shimmer. A few people hooted and laughed as Riven snapped a burst of shots.

"Hold that," he called. "Cara, you're tall, shift left."

"Are you calling me tall or displacing me?" Cara asked, mock-offended.

"Yes," Riven answered, snapping another photo. "Leia, you're blinking."

"Maybe don't flash a strobe in my face, then," Leia muttered, but she was laughing.

The group shifted again, the buzz of champagne and the cold air making everything slightly more electric. The photo lineups blurred into each other, the kind of warm, slightly chaotic whirlwind only a New Year's Eve party could really pull off.

"Okay now do something fun," Riven said, voice raised above the music. "Candid. Flirty. Whatever."

Leia didn't mean to look at Taylor, but she did.

Taylor didn't mean to reach for her hand, but she did.

Just a brush - fingers meeting for a second, then falling apart as they laughed at something Selena said. But the moment pulsed. Quiet, private, invisible to everyone else. Or so they thought.

"See?" Cara announced, squinting at them. "They're being weird. There's a vibe. I'm not imagining it."

Leia turned her head, giving her a bland look. "You're always imagining things."

"Uh-huh." Cara took a sip of her drink, unconvinced. "Well, if you spontaneously start fighting by the dessert table later, I expect full credit for my prophetic vision."

"Duly noted," Taylor said with a perfectly polite smile.

Before anyone could press further, Azul walked over and handed Blake a pair of heart-shaped sunglasses from the prop basket near the DJ booth. That sparked a new round of chaos. The Haim sisters immediately began rifling through the basket for boas and glittery hats, insisting on another round of photos.

"Selena, give me your drink," Alana said, lifting a tiara from the pile. "You can't hold prosecco and a crown. Pick a struggle."

"Can someone tell Jack to get his ass up here?" Georgie said, peering toward the stairwell. "He promised a dramatic entrance and I want the drama."

"He's in the corner guarding the snacks like Gollum," Danielle reported. "I passed him on the way here. He hissed."

Taylor laughed, pressing the back of her hand against her mouth.

Leia watched her out of the corner of her eye. The light bounced off her earrings, her cheeks pink from the wind and champagne, the tiny smile that curled even when she wasn't trying to smile. She looked so at ease. So at home.

So undeniably hers.

The group was still gathered under the canopy of string lights, the skyline glowing behind them like it had been painted in gold foil. Riven snapped another photo just as someone bumped into Selena, nearly sending her champagne flying.

Leia shifted slightly, laughing at something Blake had said, and tugged at her scarf, which had slipped just enough to expose a faint mark just beneath her jaw. It wasn't huge, but it was unmistakable - and Cara noticed it immediately.

"Oh my god," she said, pointing like she'd just uncovered a scandal. "Is that a hickey?"

Leia froze for a split second, immediately yanking the scarf up again, her cheeks flushing crimson.

"I - it's not -" she started, but Cara was already cackling.

"No, no," Cara cut in, already grinning like the cat who caught the canary. "That is a textbook hickey. Who even gives those anymore? What are you, seventeen?"

The others erupted with laughter, voices overlapping in playful disbelief.

"Leia, spill!"

"Someone's been busy."

"Do we know them?"

"Wait, is this why you've been glowing all night?"

Leia groaned, ducking her head slightly behind her glass of champagne, but the heat in her face betrayed her. She could feel Taylor beside her, unmoving, calm. She turned her head, just enough to meet Taylor's eyes.

Taylor was already looking at her. The noise around them faded for a moment. The skyline blurred at the edges. It was just the two of them. Taylor's expression was steady, warm. There was a softness to her gaze that held no question, no hesitation. Just a quiet kind of certainty. She was asking without asking.

Leia took a breath, slow and steady. Taylor's smile flickered, a tiny spark of something tender flashing in her eyes. Then she turned back to the group, lifting her glass just slightly.

"Surprised you guys hadn't seen it yet," Taylor joked, her eyes twinkling as Selena looked at her suspiciously, catching on to the joy in her voice that seemed out of place considering they all knew she was heartbroken over not being with Leia. "I noticed it earlier."

She smiled slyly.

"Well," she said, as casually as if they were talking about the weather, "I guess we did spend Christmas together so no wonder I noticed it today."

A few people laughed, not quite catching the meaning.

"Like... dinner?" Selena asked, brow furrowing slightly. "You mean you dropped in?"

Taylor sipped her drink, then shrugged, unbothered. "Sure."

There was a pause... just long enough for the words to hang there, seemingly innocent. Then Blake tilted her head, eyes narrowing ever so slightly. 

"Wait. You said 'we'?"

Taylor raised her eyebrows innocently, sipping her champagne again, like she hadn't just tossed a grenade into the middle of their circle.

"Wait. Wait." Gigi's glass stopped midair. "You spent Christmas together? Like... at the same dinner?"

"Leia," Selena said slowly, turning to her. "What is she talking about?"

Leia tried to play it off. She took a casual sip of her drink, as if that might buy her time, but her fingers were tight around the glass stem. Taylor was still beside her, still calm, still silent. Not pushing. Just... there.

And that made all the difference. Leia glanced at her, just briefly. Taylor looked back. No words passed between them. They didn't need to.

Leia exhaled softly, then looked back at the group, her shoulders squaring.

"I spent the week with her family," she said simply. "Pennsylvania. The whole thing."

There was a beat of stunned silence. Like the rooftop had gone quiet for a second, despite the music in the background and the soft crackle of the outdoor heaters. The string lights seemed to hum in the pause.

"Wait, hold on," Danielle said. "You're telling me you were... in Pennsylvania? With her? For Christmas?"

"Yep," Taylor said brightly.

"You two weren't even speaking last month!" Este said, voice cracking up an octave. "Georgie, you were at dinner with us! You said it was awkward!"

Georgie raised her hands like she was being accused of treason. "I didn't say how awkward."

"But you made it sound like they couldn't be in the same room!" Alana added.

"I didn't lie!" Georgie insisted. "At the time, it was awkward!"

Cara just stared. "So... what, you kissed and made up over turkey and stuffing on Christmas Day in PENNSYLVANIA?"

Leia choked on her champagne. Taylor didn't blink. 

"Actually, it was a few days before that, and we were in New York," Taylor casually said, sipping her drink as if she wasn't dropping the biggest news of the year to their friends. "And I think we did a bit more than kiss but-"

"Oh my god," Blake muttered, one hand flying to her mouth. "You're back together."

Taylor smiled. "Took you long enough."

The rooftop exploded. Laughter. Screaming. Gigi shouting "I KNEW IT" so loud it startled two waitstaff near the bar. Selena hugging Leia with an almost violent level of glee. Este and Alana spinning in place with their arms flailing, shrieking like they were on a rollercoaster.

Blake had tears in her eyes - actual, shimmering tears - and Danielle kept repeating, "I can't believe you didn't tell us. I cannot believe this."

Cara just stared at them both, wide-eyed.

"And I was going to introduce you to someone tonight, Leia."

Leia laughed, the sound breaking loose and bright. "Cara, please."

"I feel so misled," she said dramatically, pressing a hand to her heart. "I wore lip gloss for this."

"I'm flattered," Taylor said drily, pulling Leia just slightly closer with a soft touch to the back of her coat.

Selena beamed at them. "I'm not gonna lie. I'm still shocked."

Leia shrugged, cheeks warm. "We kind of are too."

"Just over a week ago?" Danielle repeated. "That's insane."

"Feels longer," Taylor said quietly, looking at Leia. "But also... exactly right."

Leia smiled. Something soft and warm unfurled in Leia's chest at Taylor's words. The kind of feeling that made her want to reach out and touch her face, trace the curve of her smile with her fingertips. But they were surrounded by their friends, all of whom were still processing this revelation with varying degrees of dramatic flair.

"I cannot believe you kept this from us," Selena said, though her smile betrayed her lack of actual offense. "We were just texting yesterday about New Year's plans!"

"And you didn't think to mention, 'Oh, by the way, I'm back with the love of my life'?" Cara added, raising an eyebrow.

Their friends clustered around them, asking questions that tumbled over each other like eager puppies.

Taylor laughed, her arm now firmly around Leia's waist, holding her close against the December chill. 

"One at a time, please. We've only been back together for—"

"Eleven days," Leia supplied automatically.

Taylor glanced at her, eyes soft. "You've been counting?"

"Haven't you?" Leia whispered back.

Georgie made a gagging sound, but her eyes were bright with happiness.

"Yes, I've been counting too," Taylor admitted softly, her eyes never leaving Leia's.

"Oh my god, they're doing that thing again," Cara stage-whispered. "The one where they forget we exist."

As their friends celebrated around them, Taylor leaned in close to Leia's ear. 

"You okay with all of this? I didn't mean to just blurt it out."

Leia turned her head slightly, their faces inches apart. 

"More than okay. It feels... right."

The music shifted to something slower, more romantic, as if the DJ had somehow sensed the mood. The city lights twinkled below them like earthbound stars, mirroring the real ones that were beginning to appear in the darkening sky above.

"So," Riven said, lowering his camera with a satisfied smirk, "I guess I don't need to keep pretending I didn't know."

"You knew?" Danielle gasped.

"Please," Riven rolled his eyes. "Leia called me the afternoon after Christmas Day. I'm her publicist. And her friend."

"Well I knew first," Georgie snarked back with a proud look.

"It was hardly a competition," Taylor said dryly.

"Tell that to G's smug face," Selena laughed.

As midnight approached, the rooftop grew more crowded. Friends of friends arrived, industry people mingled, and the music grew louder. Through it all, Taylor and Leia remained close, occasionally separated by well-wishers or friends pulling them into conversations, but always finding their way back to each other like magnets.

The countdown was closing in before they knew it - minutes to midnight, the city below a glowing sea of movement and life. Somewhere across the rooftop, the DJ had swapped out the current beat for something with more build, something that sent a thrum through the floorboards, low and steady like a heartbeat.

Leia stood by the edge of the rooftop now, her back against the railing, champagne flute in one hand, the other curled gently into the pocket of her coat. The cold bit at her cheeks, but she barely felt it. Not with the way Taylor was walking toward her now, weaving easily through the crowd with a crooked smile and that unmistakable brightness in her eyes, like she was seeing only Leia, even as the whole party roared around them.

Taylor came to a stop in front of her, a little breathless from laughter, her coat slightly askew, cheeks flushed with cold and celebration.

"Hey," she said.

Leia smiled. "Hey."

They didn't say anything for a moment. They didn't have to. The skyline burned behind them, Manhattan stretching out like a promise. Above, the lights twinkled. Around them, people danced and clinked glasses and shouted over the music. But here, in this small circle of space between them, it was just... still.

"You ready for this?" Taylor asked eventually, tipping her head toward the countdown clock someone had propped up near the DJ booth.

Leia tilted her head. "The year, or the inevitable drunk rendition of Auld Lang Syne?"

Taylor laughed. "Both."

Leia looked at her then, properly. Her lashes dusted with snowflakes, her mouth soft with affection, the corner of her smile tugged just slightly like she was holding back everything she wanted to say. Leia reached for her hand without thinking, lacing their fingers together and holding tight.

"I think I've been ready for you a lot longer than I admitted," she said quietly.

Taylor didn't answer right away. But her grip tightened. She stepped a little closer, until the only thing Leia could see was her.

"You have me," Taylor whispered. "Every day you want me."

Leia's breath caught. Not in fear. In awe.

The first firework bloomed in the sky then — a crack of red against velvet black, followed by a cheer that rippled through the rooftop like a wave.

"Three minutes!" someone shouted.

The music picked up again. Friends danced around them, pulling on party hats and clinking glasses, laughter tumbling like confetti. Selena grabbed Georgie and spun her in a ridiculous waltz. Cara and Blake pretended to toast dramatically, only to immediately down their drinks like shots. Alana waved a sparkler dangerously close to Este's coat while Danielle attempted to wrangle them both into a coordinated photo.

Leia stayed still, her champagne forgotten.

Because Taylor was looking at her like she held the answer to something.

And maybe she did.

"Next year's gonna be different," Leia murmured, her voice nearly lost in the rising crowd.

Taylor nodded. "Different good?"

Leia smiled. "The best kind."

Taylor leaned in, their foreheads brushing. Her voice was low, a secret meant only for Leia.

"This year... I get to love you. Out loud. In real time. That's all I need."

Leia pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth, gentle and reverent. 

"We've both got new music coming out, we're both back together, we're going to be just fine. There's no Dylan or Joe or some other threat looming on the horizon..."

Leia looked up at Taylor and saw not the pop star. Not the public image. Just the girl who had waited. The woman who had come back. The love of her life.

"Two minutes!" The announcement rang across the rooftop, followed by another burst of fireworks that painted the night sky in brilliant blues and silvers.

Taylor reached up, gently tucking a strand of Leia's hair behind her ear. 

"You're right. We're going to be just fine. Better than fine."

The crowd around them began to gather closer to the edge of the rooftop, champagne flutes raised in anticipation. Riven was still snapping photos, catching candid moments between friends as they prepared for the countdown.

"Remember last New Year's?" Taylor asked, her voice low enough that only Leia could hear. "When we were both at different cities pretending we weren't thinking about each other?"

Leia smiled, a touch of sadness in her eyes that quickly melted away. "I watched the ball drop on TV and wished for exactly this. Didn't think it would actually happen."

"Careful what you wish for," Taylor teased, squeezing her hand.

"One minute!" The DJ's voice boomed through the speakers, and the music faded to make way for the countdown.

Georgie appeared suddenly at Leia's side, slightly breathless from dancing and with Niall, who had shown up an hour or so ago after having flown back in from Ireland, at her side. 

"Don't forget to get a good kiss in when the clock strikes twelve. It's tradition."

"Thanks for the reminder," Leia said dryly.

"Just doing my sisterly duty," Georgie grinned, before disappearing back into the crowd with Niall holding on to her hand behind her.

Taylor laughed, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "Your sister is something else."

"Thirty seconds!" someone shouted.

Across the city, other rooftops and balconies were filling with revelers, tiny specks of light and movement against the darkened buildings.

"You know what I love about New Year's?" Taylor said, pulling Leia closer until their bodies were pressed together against the winter chill. "It's the one night when everyone believes in second chances."

Leia's heart swelled. "Is that what we are? A second chance?"

"Maybe," Taylor smiled, her eyes reflecting the golden glow of the string lights. "Or maybe we're just picking up where we left off. The story that was always supposed to continue."

Leia reached up, cupping Taylor's face between her palms, feeling the warmth of her skin against the winter air. Taylor's hands found Leia's waist, steadying her against the surge of bodies around them.

"I love you," Taylor whispered, the words nearly drowned out as the countdown started.

"I love you too," Leia replied, just as the clocks struck midnight.

The rooftop erupted. Cheers, confetti, sparklers igniting into bursts of white and gold.

And Taylor kissed her. No hesitation. No hiding.

Leia kissed her back, arms wrapping around Taylor's coat as the world around them blurred into spark and sound and colour. When they pulled apart, breathless and grinning, their foreheads rested together. The city glowed beneath them. Fireworks cracked like applause in the sky.

And for the first time in a long time, Leia felt it... not the rush or the fear that she'd entered 2021 with, but the hope and love and peace that she was starting 2022 with.

And it felt fucking amazing.